An Enemy Among Us
by Subjockey
Summary: Lee's first week at NIMR is full of adjustments as everyone gets to know Seaview's new captain; but they may not be prepared for everything they learn about Captain Crane.
1. Chapter 1

**An Enemy Among Us**

by Subjockey

Commander Lee Crane walked to his office at the Nelson Institute of Marine Research still feeling like pinching himself after his unexpected, but welcomed appointment to captain the _SSRN Seaview_. This was his first week at NIMR as Seaview's new captain, having accepted Admiral Nelson's job offer on the spot, just hours before docking in Santa Barbara after their harrowing mission. He'd spent four weeks back at Norfolk turning over his boat, the _USS Spadefish_ , after successfully completing his mission in the Arctic aboard Seaview. It had been a hair-raising and tense mission trying to beat a natural disaster and an underworld crime organization at the same time. Fortunately, Dr. Gamma underestimated both the Seaview and her temporary captain as they successfully eluded enemy bombers, an attacking sub, and even an aerial assault on Dr. Wilson's Snow CAT trying to set the nuclear charge that would nullify the impending tsunamis generated from the devastating earthquakes.

No doubt Gamma thought he had rendered the fantastic windowed submarine neutralized after murdering her captain, John Phillips. Of course his primary target was Admiral Harriman Nelson (ret), the designer and owner of the submarine. However, though his hit squad had missed Nelson he wasn't prepared for the young captain borrowed from a Sturgeon Class nuclear sub to step into the captaincy with any true success; nor was he prepared for the formidable foe Nelson and Crane presented together. In the end, the successful mission was all Nelson needed to convince Washington that the best man to stand at the helm of the research vessel carrying nuclear missiles was Lee Crane.

"Hello Miss Fields," Lee said greeting Nelson's Executive Secretary as he passed by her office.

"Good morning Captain Crane," Angie Fields returned.

Lee smiled. "Is my appointment with the Admiral still good?"

"Yes, he's expecting you at 10:30," she returned with her usual bright smile to accompany her typical efficiency.

"Great, see you then," he returned with a professional smile that dazzled just the same.

Angie smiled her reply, a consummate professional and not nearly as affected by Seaview's handsome officers in uniform as some were. Still, she went about the rest of her work with a tad measure more zip in her steps as the pleasant conversation left her humming.

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Lee stopped at his secretary's desk and collected a few messages and then headed to his office. Seaview was setting sail in six weeks and along with familiarizing himself with a new boat, crew, and working conditions; and despite the seemingly long gap between voyages, he still had quite a bit of preparation yet to attend to. He hung his service cap on the coat rack and sat down, turning on his desk top computer almost simultaneously. He had no more than settled into his chair when his phone rang.

"Yes Miss Stone," he answered addressing his secretary.

"A Mr. Harley on line one."

Lee avoided any reaction to the caller's name and answered coolly.

"Very well, put him through."

"Right away," she replied as Lee tilted his head to see her desk, though not in a direct line of sight he could see that she put the call through then picked up her coffee mug, heading presumably for the kitchenette for a refill.

Lee picked up the phone, satisfied of his privacy but avoiding shutting his door; he hadn't closed it behind him upon entering and he didn't want Harley's name to bring about any suspicions.

"Crane here," he answered, as a small pause hung in the air before the caller answered in a near whisper.

"Crane, this is Harley."

"I told you never to call me here," he answered just as quietly.

"The Boss says twenty-five G's."

"Tell him fifty or no deal," he bargained, his eyes narrowing for the exchange.

"He ain't going to be happy."

"Tell him it's not his hide on the line. Fifty or nothing, and don't call me on this line ever again; what do you think the pager's for?" he asked disgustedly, hanging up the receiver lightly and using all his self-control not to slam it into the cradle.

"Amateur," he breathed out between gritted teeth and unlocked his desk to start his day.

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Aubrey stood just short of the door, holding two cups of coffee. She always made sure Captain Phillips was well supplied in coffee and intended to do the same for her new boss. She knew he had a call, so she waited before entering. His voice was too low to know when his call was complete, so she scanned her desk and spotted the light on her phone system go out then waited a polite half-minute before entering cheerfully.

"I thought you might enjoy some coffee," she said as Crane raised his head somewhat surprised she had returned to the office so quickly.

"Thank you," he recovered smoothly and smiled. "But you really don't have to get my coffee," he gently admonished.

"First cup of the day is a freebie, after that you're on your own," the sassy red-head declared with a grin.

Lee returned the smile and received her gracious offer, still wading through the politics of his new office.

"Deal," he replied.

"I used to do the same for Captain Phillips," Aubrey noted sadly.

Lee nodded. He understood that she was still in mourning as Aubrey had been Phillips' secretary for the last six months before he was unexpectedly and brutally murdered.

She recovered, realizing she had slipped into a bit of melancholy and put on a pleasant smile.

"Anyway, coffee straight-up; no cream, no sugar," she recited cheerfully.

"Thank you. Just the way I like it," he replied as she stepped toward the door.

"Would you like me to close your door?"

"Yes thanks," he responded, smiling as she pulled the door closed behind her. His smile faded however once the door clicked shut; as Lee sat back wondering just how much of the conversation she had heard.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Hello Miss Fields," Lee greeted, entering Harry's outer office.

"Hello Captain Crane," she returned. "Please call me Angie," she invited professionally.

"Very well," Lee replied, understanding that Angie was a vital team member at the Nelson Institute and as such worked closely with the trio of officers that made up the Command Team. "If you'll call me Lee," he offered.

"You're sure?" she asked.

He smiled, already knowing she and Chip were on a professional first name basis, though she respectfully still addressed Nelson by his title.

She saw his permission in his expressive eyes and responded with a professional smile.

"Of course, and thank you. The Admiral should be with you in a moment, he took a call that's taking longer than expected."

Lee nodded and sat down, opening his folder and reading over the suggestions he was planning on presenting to Nelson.

Angie continued working, while watching the indicator light on her phone system. The light blinked off, so she reached for her phone receiver to privately use the intercom.

"Admiral, Captain Crane is here for your 10:30 appointment." She nodded silently as he responded and hung up the receiver.

"You can go in now, Lee."

"Thanks Angie," he returned as he entered in and closed the door behind him.

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With the first half of their meeting complete, Lee passed over the folder with the suggestions to improve safety, security and productivity aboard Seaview. The Admiral read over the pages with interest, his eyebrows rising ever so often as Lee waited patiently.

"Hmmm," Harry pondered thoughtfully and closed the folder in front of him. "Well it appears you put a great deal of thought into your suggestions, Lee."

Lee wasn't quite sure how to read the Admiral. They had worked together well on their first mission in the Arctic, and he had previously worked under Nelson for a short time aboard the Nautilus. Still he was well aware that he was the new Captain in town, despite the Admiral's obvious pulling of strings to win his appointment to Seaview.

"Aye Sir," he replied with an easy smile. "I worked on it in the evenings while at Norfolk."

He still wasn't sure what Nelson was thinking and wondered if he'd over stepped his boundaries. Normally as Captain of the Boat he didn't have to run his efficiency improvements past an Admiral. He was wading through the new dynamics of working at NIMR and having an Admiral aboard, much less the fact that said admiral was the boat's designer.

"Relax Lee," Harry returned, sitting back in his chair and noting his reticence. "I agree with almost all of your suggestions."

Lee sat forward, curious as to the exceptions in the Admiral's assessment.

"What do you say we take a break and discuss them over lunch?"

Lee let out a soft sigh of relief and smiled. "Aye Sir, that sounds great. Might I suggest we involve the Exec in on our discussion?"

"A fine suggestion, Lee. I can see we think alike, you and me," he added as Lee inwardly considered that his place at the Nelson Institute was indeed welcome.

"Thank you, Sir. I'll just clear a few things off my desk and meet you back here in...?" he looked briefly down at his watch and then raised his eyes to defer to the Admiral's suggestion.

"Thirty minutes ought to do it," Harry replied. "I have another phone call to make," he said reaching for his phone. "Why don't you invite Chip along?"

"Aye Sir," Lee replied and left, pulling the door firmly closed behind him.

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Lee knocked on the door frame as Chip's door was already open.

"Hi Chip. You got a minute?"

"Sure, Lee. Come on in," Chip Morton replied evenly, as Lee took a seat across from him and got straight to business.

"The Admiral and I are going to have a working lunch meeting. I know it's short notice, but I'd like for you to attend."

"Sure Lee, no problem. What time?"

Lee stood. "In about thirty minutes."

"Fine, I'll meet you in Angie's office," Chip replied just as evenly.

Lee acknowledged with a nod and started to leave, took just two steps then stopped and turned around, taking his seat once again.

"Chip... the air between us is clear, isn't it? I mean, you understand why I did what I did on the Arctic mission?"

Chip sat back, his face never changing in countenance; it was the stone face every Executive Officer learned to achieve, playing the heavy and providing a buffer between the crew and the Captain. He silently contemplated whether to make Lee sweat it out. Yeah, he'd been ticked off on the mission. Not only did Lee sneak aboard and accuse boat security of being lax, he acted like he didn't even know him for the first half of the mission. It wasn't until Lee got squeezed by the giant squid that he even attempted to pretend like they didn't room together for four years at the Academy; that he didn't spend half of his summer breaks with the Morton clan; and that the two hadn't practically poked their pinkies and become blood brothers all those years ago. Yeah, you could say he was pissed. But after watching Lee move so slowly, trying not to let the crew in on the fact that he was sporting an ace bandage for cracked ribs, he softened.

 _He remembered standing at the Captain's Cabin for a few minutes before finally knocking and entering. Lee was sitting at his desk..._ _ **Phillip's**_ _old desk... signing off reports. Lee tried to keep his pain hidden even then, but the bottle of aspirin on his desk sitting next to Doc Jamieson's prescription bottle told the tale, despite his obvious attempts to hide his discomfort. Chip sighed, the friend in him needing answers; the Exec in him wanting to be kept in the loop; and the brother in him just wanting to connect again._

" _So, are you going to take Doc's prescription so you can rest?" Chip asked, dropping the Exec attitude he had hid behind as Lee played Captain Bligh._

 _Lee looked up; he was dead tired and his ribs hurt. He had the weight of the mission on his shoulders, millions of lives riding on its success, and the eleven day deadline bearing down on him. He looked at Chip's face, seeing the brother of year's past even though their careers had prevented them from much contact. Over the last few years they hadn't really kept in touch, though Lee still sent flowers to Chip's mom every Mother's Day. He dropped the invincibility facade he'd been working behind trying to step into the shoes of a murdered captain and just sighed._

" _I've been taking the aspirin, but it's not really cutting it. I figured I'd take half a dose of Doc's stuff, so I can still function if I'm needed," Lee answered completely transparent._

 _Chip sat down in the chair across from Lee, an invitation not necessary as they weren't talking as Captain and Exec, but as friends._

" _Take the full dose, Lee. You need a good night's rest; I'll cover for you."_

 _Lee rubbed his eyes tiredly._

" _Chip... I'm sorry about how this mission has gone, but the crew was already ticked at me... hell... they would have been ticked at anyone who came to take over for Phillips, even temporarily. I just thought if they saw you and I were friends, they'd turn on you." He held a hand up to forego Chip's protest and continued. "I don't mean mutiny, but they needed someone who was still_ _one_ _of them. They don't have to like me, they just need to follow orders, but when I go back to the Spadefish you're going to be left here to pick up the pieces with another captain. I just thought it would be easier this way."_

 _Chip sighed heavily. "Weak excuse, Lee," he returned evenly and then grinned. "But apology accepted anyway," he finished to Lee's tired smile from across the desk. "I wouldn't worry about the crew Lee; they're coming around, despite your Captain Bligh routine. They're just hurting; it will take time for all of us."_

" _Time is what we don't have," Lee replied, the ease of the conversation now turning deadly serious. "I can't afford to have a crew of grieving men, I need them to be so ticked off at me that they'll do their best to prove that they're_ _ **Phillips'**_ _crew and they're doing their best for him."_

 _Chip considered Lee's statement a moment and nodded in agreement._

" _Okay Lee. I guess I see where you're coming from."_

 _He stood to leave, reaching for the door knob and pausing for a moment._

" _Take the full dose Lee; the sonar mast is repaired and we're underway again. Get at least four' hours sleep."_

 _Lee nodded and offered a grateful smile; he couldn't afford to take a full dose and be groggy if General Quarters was sounded, but he appreciated Chip's gesture all the same._

The scene from over six weeks ago played instantaneously before Chip's eyes. Lee had relaxed quite a bit on the two week journey back to port, but he was whisked away almost immediately for debriefing and shipped off to Norfolk to square away his Command. They really hadn't had a chance to talk anything out.

His face remained steady until he cracked a smile, his blue eyes sparkling in mischief.

"Relax Lee. The air between us is fine."

Lee returned his smile, then the two broke out in laughter as if the tension had finally given way to relief.

"Commanding the Seaview is like a dream come true, Chip. Working together with you... it's like everything we always talked about," he said, allowing his excitement to finally be expressed.

"Seaview is something special, and you handled her like she was made for you," Chip complimented.

"Well you might not be so complimentary after our lunch," Lee laughed. "I've got some changes I'd like to see; I'd like your input before we implement anything."

"Very well, Captain Bligh. Let me clear my desk and I'll meet you in..." Chip checked his watch, "...another twenty minutes."

Lee got up laughing and keeping with the jestful play of his old friend, taking the "jab" in the spirit in which it was rendered. They were both professionals who wore their naval decorum like a second skin, but they were also brothers who could drop the titles just as easily when appropriate.

Lee left as Chip sat back and sighed heavily. It would take some adjusting for both of them, but he could already tell that working with Lee was going to be a good thing.

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The lunch meeting had gone well. The exceptions the Admiral alluded to weren't differences of opinion at all, but rather an exchange of ideas that produced acceptable compromises for everyone. They left the restaurant in complete agreement as Seaview's Command Team continued to forge themselves into a cohesive unit.

As the three officers walked to Harry's sedan, Lee felt the pager buzz in his pant pocket. The sound was muted so he ignored the pager knowing exactly who was trying to contact him.

Upon returning to the Nelson Institute, the three officers each went to their own offices. Lee picked up his messages at Aubrey's desk.

"Did you have a nice lunch?" Aubrey asked as he thumbed through several messages while standing at her desk.

"Yes, very productive," he returned with a smile, then headed into his office closing the door behind him.

He moved to his desk and sat down. Now was the perfect time to return the pager call, as his stack of messages would ensure a busy phone line and no interruptions. He verified the number on the pager and dialed.

"Yeah."

"It's Crane."

"The Boss says he'll pay thirty-five, take it or leave it."

"Alright thirty-five. When and where?"

"At the Point, seven o'clock tonight. Bring the goods."

"I want cash in hundred dollar bills or smaller," Lee dictated.

"Agreed, and the device better be what you promised."

"Don't threaten me Harley, you won't like the results," Lee countered then hung up.

Lee breathed deeply, then looked over his messages and started returning calls.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Is there anything else you need before I leave, Captain Crane?" Aubrey asked, standing at his office door with her purse in hand.

"No, I'm headed out myself," he returned pleasantly. "See you in the morning, Miss Stone."

She smiled and waved as Lee cleared his desk. A few minutes later he left, locking the door behind him. He was pushed for time as the Point was a cliff park overlooking the ocean. It was a popular spot and he was sure the exchange would be public enough not to pose a hazard to his health. He headed straight to his car, dropping his brief case in the passenger seat and heading home to change, the last thing he needed was to make the exchange in uniform.

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Crane was gone as the intruder used an unauthorized key to enter his office and walked directly to the telephone. The intruder needed to work fast and unscrewed the phone mouth piece pulling out a small disk of tape. The disk was placed into a miniature cassette case where it could be read on the cassette player. The cassette was played, detailing Crane's negotiating and acceptance of a deal, as well as noting the drop-off location. There wasn't much time, so the intruder made the call from Crane's desk.

"…He's making some sort of drop-off, a device of some kind. He bargained for thirty-five grand and he's exchanging it at the Point at seven o'clock."

The report having been made, the Intruder replaced the disk to record future phone conversations and left Crane's desk exactly as it was found; then slipped out quietly, utilizing the back staircase and avoiding the other offices on the way out.

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Angie's pace was quick, preferring to walk for her exercise as opposed to running or jogging, as so many were doing these days. Her favorite route was the pedestrian and bike path that paralleled the ocean. The summer sun was still high enough on the horizon to provide plenty of light and the view was beautiful. She had plenty of time to walk two and half miles and be back to her car by sunset. The drive to the walkway was worth the view she often thought, as the warm ocean breeze blew across her face. She was nearly at the Point, her turn-around mark when she spotted a tall dark headed man in sunglasses sitting on a bench, watching the horizon. She was pretty sure it was Lee and continued her approach to the bench.

"Well fancy seeing you here," she greeted with a grin.

Lee was obviously shocked, but recovered quickly.

"Hi Angie. I'm a little surprised, running into you like this," he said, with his hand resting on the briefcase beside him. "You look like you've had a good workout," he continued.

"This is a great place to walk," she agreed. "Do you come here often to look at the view?" she asked innocently.

"Oh I just needed a little reflection time," he replied and smiled. "Well, I've been sitting here too long. I better get home and start diving into these reports," he said picking up the briefcase. "Nice seeing you," he replied.

"Good to see you," she said and turned to finish her walk, picking up the pace to make up for lost time.

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From the parking lot two men observed the exchange, as a second man approached and sat beside Crane, placing the briefcase between them. Crane handed over a small package as the second man slid the briefcase closer to Lee before leaving with the package under his arm. Crane remained for a few minutes longer as they watched a young woman approach him. They conversed for a moment before Crane left with the money, while the young brunette left in the brisk pace of a walker's workout.

"It's confirmed," one said to the other. "Crane is selling out his country."

"Yeah, the word is already out that a Scramble Box is on the market."

"What about the woman? It doesn't look like they exchanged anything?"

"I don't know. Could be someone he's working with on the inside. Did you get her picture?"

"Yeah I got it."

"Good, we'll show it to our contact at the Nelson Institute."

They put the car in gear and backed out, following behind Crane's car with the red classic Cobra easy to spot in traffic.

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"Good morning Angie."

"Good morning Lee. The Admiral is waiting for you, go straight in."

"Thanks, and I'm sorry I wasn't very talkative last night," he said pausing a moment before entering Harry's office. "Yesterday was the anniversary of my father's death. I'm always a little reflective on that day."

Angie's face immediately reflected her sympathy. "Oh I didn't notice, you were quite polite," she offered with a sympathetic smile giving him complete understanding for not chatting. "And thanks for sharing that with me," she added softly.

Lee smiled and headed into Harry's office, satisfied that Angie wouldn't have cause to question why he was so far from home with his briefcase when he'd already changed into civvies.

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"That's Nelson's secretary," the informant said, identifying Angie Fields in the picture with Crane. "She struts around like she's second to Nelson himself," she added snidely.

"Have you noticed anything in their relationship that might suggest they're more than co-workers?"

Aubrey Stone tightened her lips in thought. "Yeah, she's on a first name basis with him. I'm his secretary and he hasn't invited me to call him by his first name," she reported, even though in all the time she worked for Phillips she'd never called him by his first name either, and had always referred to him by his title.

"Did you verify the drop?" Aubrey asked.

"Yes, your information was good. We'll report to the Doctor and see what he wants to do with this, in the meanwhile, keep up the good work. Where do you want the pay-off?"

"Same account," Aubrey noted. "Listen, my lunch break is almost over, I've got to get back," she said rising from her chair and leaving the table in the corner. She'd been on Gamma's payroll ever since she was hired as Phillips' secretary. Her role allowed for a great deal of sensitive information to be passed, and the fact that she was privy to the meeting Phillips and Nelson were heading to had been the edge Gamma needed to stage his ambush. She never thought about the price of her betrayal, she had desensitized herself to that long ago. The fact that Gamma was interested in Crane only helped her ambitious plans to leave the country and retire on some Caribbean island by the age of thirty. She smiled as she drove away, anxious to check his bugged phone later this evening.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Lee stood at his window looking out to the warehouse building that surreptitiously sat over Seaview's hidden underground sub pen. The sub pen provided for stealthy departures and returns, though Seaview didn't always operate covertly. She was built as a research vessel; to explore the seas and discover new fascinating creatures and resources. As intriguing as oceanic research was, that alone wouldn't have been enough to draw him away from a lucrative career in the Navy. He was well aware that by taking this post he had left the fast track to what some thought would have eventually taken him to an admiralty. But he could do as much with Seaview's reserve status as his active duty time playing cat and mouse under water for months at a time he reasoned and besides, wearing stars had never been his sole goal as an officer anyway. He was confident of his decision and gently sighed as he stood with his hands in his pockets and pondered the first time he'd seen the underground sub pen.

 _Commander Lee Crane had his orders; he'd been tagged for the special assignment and had been flown in from his sub's home port of Norfolk, Virginia. The Spadefish had docked a week earlier and his crew was given shore leave, he'd been in the middle of debriefs when he got the call. He was whisked away to DC for a briefing and spent the entire flight to San Diego familiarizing himself with the limited specs available for Seaview. He was well aware that her "official" specs were just a shadow of her real capabilities, that realization invoked a raised eyebrow as Seaview's official specs were impressive on their own. Her published diving capability of 2,500 feet was incredible, but he somehow got the feeling that her bottom was much deeper. How deep would have to wait until he got aboard. He continued to read through the specs, silently in awe at the mechanical wonder Nelson had created._

 _Next he pulled out the personnel file Washington provided on Seaview's Crew. The first picture was of a sophisticated man with dark hair and a thin mustache; Captain John Phillips. Lee studied his face, Phillips was well known to all navy sub commanders for his prowess with putting large ballistic subs where no sub had ever gone before. He had spent a brief reprieve at Annapolis, teaching only one semester before Nelson snagged him away to captain his sub. Lee sighed, blowing a breath out at the loss of life of such a brilliant sub commander._

 _The next picture and bio was of Admiral Harriman Nelson, a man he was already familiar with. His brown hair, tinted in red and producing an auburn affect gave away his Irish ancestry. Anyone who doubted his Irish background hadn't seen him angry. Lee held back an outward smile at the fiery admiral's disposition; he was definitely a force to be reckoned with. He was brilliant and like Midas of fables, everything he touched seemed to turn to gold. He flipped past Nelson's picture, already familiar with his bio and turned to the next one, the Executive Officer._

 _Lt. Commander Charles Christopher Morton, also known as "Chip" to his friends and family. They used to call him Double Chip at Annapolis, as both his first and middle names shared the same nickname. Lee allowed a small smile to escape as he looked at the picture of the blond headed, blue eyed officer's All American look. He well remembered how the young ladies threw themselves at him, especially when he played football for the Navy. The running back had plenty of spotlight time and his clean-cut, boy-next-door look netted him plenty of attention as he was apparently very photogenic. He read down Chip's naval career accomplishments and pondered why the Exec hadn't been promoted for the mission._

 _He flipped to the next few photos and read their Bios answering his own question; Lt. Terry Bishop. He'd run across Bishop before and though the young officer was capable enough, he'd been less than impressed with his ability to command his subordinates. The next Bio was Lt. Robert O'Brien; the dark haired baby faced officer had been snagged early in his career by Nelson. He wasn't an academy man, having graduated from a four year college with an engineering degree and receiving his training in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. The fact that he was a ROTC officer didn't disqualify him from the temporary Exec position at all, as Lee didn't play the elite officer game; he just happened to be too young and too inexperienced._

 _It therefore, made perfect sense to bring in a temporary Captain, leaving the Exec in place to provide a buffer between the crew and the captain, thereby avoiding having to bump up several officers to fill in the domino effect of positions that would need to be filled. He perused through a few more officer photos and then settled in on the tough, hard as rock, I-don't-take-bull-from-anyone face of the Chief Of the Boat, Chief Quincy (Curley) Jones. Lee had to chuckle, he was sure anyone who ever called him Quincy never made that mistake twice. The COB was husky, and was even a Master Diver. Lee raised an eyebrow, wondering with his large frame if the COB was still diving._

 _He closed the file; he didn't have time to read through a hundred and twenty-five crewman's service records, he would depend on his Exec to bridge that gap for him and rested his head back for a moment in thought. ONI had made it clear; he wasn't to make contact with anyone at NIMR. He would be cleared through the main gate by an operative, after that ONI wanted him aboard without anyone's knowledge, even Nelson's. Furthermore, nobody was to know that he had any association with ONI._

 _He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He wasn't sleeping but working through a list of options to explain a captain sneaking aboard his own boat. He came up with an idea he thought would fly and grimaced slightly, realizing he wouldn't be making any brownie points with his new crew. But then again, they weren't_ _his_ _crew, they were Phillips' crew. Perhaps this would be the best course of action all the way around, he decided. True he would start the mission by alienating the crew, but he knew that Nelson would have picked only top notched personnel to man his wonder boat. They would be navy enough to do their jobs whether they liked him or not, perhaps they'd do it even better._

 _He smiled as he thought of a way to ensure the crew was adequately ticked off at him. The mission was too important to coddle along a grief stricken crew, this way he'd have them proving they were worthy of Phillips' memory; this way they'd be giving 110%, not for him... but for Phillips. He could live with that._

 _Upon his prearranged entry at the main gate, Lee parked his car and disappeared, leaving his sea bag for the deck watch to retrieve once he was safely aboard. He wasn't naïve, ONI had spelled it out quite clearly; Phillips' murderers would stop at nothing to keep Seaview from completing her mission, even taking out the temporary captain. But there was another reason he was utilizing his espionage experience to sneak aboard, namely because ONI had yet to locate the inside contact who tipped off Nelson's and Phillips' meeting and had subsequently helped to set up the devastating ambush that resulted in five deaths, in addition to Phillips. Indeed, Nelson had barely escaped with his own life to make the meeting that day._

 _Lee dutifully put away the tragic deaths and moved as quietly as a jungle cat on the prowl. He was dressed for the covert work and had no trouble sneaking by security above ground and worked his way just as easily past the deck watch. He pursed his lips thinking this "testing" of security wasn't such a bad idea after all, as he shouldn't have gotten this far. Certainly not with the fact that Seaview's captain had just been murdered. He pressed his back against the concrete wall and peered around the corner. The ramp was before him, after that it was clear to the gangplank. He was definitely going to have to beef up security; this was way too easy and totally unacceptable, he thought._

 _He timed the deck watch's sentry route and made a dash for the gangplank, making his way to the Conning Tower hatch much too easily. By the time he started his descent down the ladder he had worked up an adequate amount of disgust to pull off what he intended._

 _He was half-way down the ladder and noted the control room was empty, not a surprise as they were in port and not scheduled to depart until mid-morning. What was a surprise were the big, burly hands of the COB pulling him from the ladder. More hands took him from behind as he was tossed none-too-gently from the ladder. He recovered quickly, turning and issuing a right hook at full force to the seaman nearest him, and issuing a deep elbow in the gut of the seaman behind him. He planned on throwing another punch but came up short as Curly put an end to his struggles. He stood straight and tall, bringing down his aggression a notch or two, but clearly disgusted with the boat's security. The Chief frisked him and removed his orders, reading them quickly before responding sharply._

" _Ten 'hut, Welcome aboard Captain," Curly said issuing a salute at the same time. "Captain Crane, on loan from the Navy," he announced to the men around him. The security team snapped to attention as the new captain gave them a dressing down._

" _Gentlemen," he greeted angrily. "Thank you for that_ _ **warm**_ _welcome, but it wasn't warm enough!" he said turning his attention to the COB. "Your security should have caught me before I came aboard," he admonished. "From now on this ship will remain on full alert. Carry on," he ordered, effectively dismissing the crew and silently applauding himself as he had referred to the sub as a ship, not a boat. That ought to get the crew really ticked off, he mused silently, figuring the rumor mill would have the event broadcasted in full Technicolor before he even made it to his cabin._

 _He would have loved to have taken a walk around the control room but he'd have to do that later, right now he needed to head to the captain's cabin and give the crew adequate room to rally up the "let's show him that Phillips will always be our only captain" pep talk. He had studied the schematics during his flight and knew exactly where to go, walking briskly and keeping up all pretense of his dissatisfaction with the boat security and by inference, Phillips' crew. He was relieved when he reached the cabin and closed the door behind him. He leaned back on the door and let out a tired sigh, he was working on very little sleep and as much as he wanted to walk the boat as he always did aboard the Spadefish, he figured the best course of action was to rest._

 _He walked to the desk and picked up the phone, dialing the communication's officer and ordering his sea bag to be brought aboard. He took off his overcoat and hung it up then sunk into Phillips' chair and sighed; Mission accomplished. I'm on board and the crew hates me._

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The memory faded abruptly as Lee felt the pager vibrate in his pant pocket. He reached for the pager, quickly checking the number and redepositing it in his pocket. He left the tranquility of the underground sub pen behind and headed to his desk, sitting down and reaching for his phone.

"This is Crane," he said identifying himself straight away.

"The Boss says the package was good and he already has a buyer. He wants to know what else you've got."

"I've just made some changes in boat security. How about the computer access codes to Seaview," he offered up without missing a beat.

"What would he want with those?"

"You're not creative enough to make that decision, Harley. Offer it up to your Boss. This one will cost him... a hundred grand."

"You're kidding right?"

"Tell him no bargaining, he's not the only buyer out there. I've got plenty of buyers on the east coast already familiar with my work. I'll give him till three o'clock to decide, after that I contact his competitors."

Lee could hear the grumble from the other side before Harley answered. "Alright, I'll get back to you."

Lee hung up and sat back wearily. "Round two," he thought distantly, opening the file with the stores request Chip had worked up; intending to do his job... at least until he got the call he was waiting for.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N – Thanks for the welcome to FanFiction. A special thanks to everyone reading, reviewing and following with story and author alerts. Subjockey**

 **Chapter Five**

"The Boss says a hundred grand. He'll wire the money and he wants the code now."

"No good Harley," Lee returned with a definitive shake of his head. "I'm not passing it over the phone. Tell him I want a drop in a very crowded place."

Harley considered silently and then spoke up. "When and where?"

"The Market Place Cafe at twelve noon, Friday."

"Why Friday? Why not tomorrow?" Harley asked, obviously anxious to get ahold of Seaview's computer codes.

"I can't get away tomorrow without arousing suspicion, Nelson is away and I need to stay close."

"Fine," Harley grumbled. "And the payoff?"

"I'll come with my account number, you figure out the rest," Lee said sarcastically and hung up the phone.

It was Wednesday and Lee had given himself enough time to make all the arrangements. He sighed and sat back, silently contemplating what these little deals were costing him. He shook it off and worked on clearing the reports off his desk. Maybe if he had time, he would take a walk to the sub pen and let Seaview speak to him. He already knew that wouldn't be enough to offer him peace and planned on making a stop after work.

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Lee was relieved when five o' clock came around. He left his office and headed home, quickly changing into casual Dockers and a short sleeve pullover shirt, then left immediately. This was something he needed to do; he couldn't keep it to himself. Perhaps he'd even find some absolution for what he was doing. He drove straight to the large cathedral church to participate in evening confessions. He bypassed several confession closets and selected the one he wanted, stepping into the darkened booth and sitting down. He bowed his head and sighed, speaking mournfully and regretfully.

"Bless me father, for I have sinned..."

"You better believe you have. What was that you said? I'm not creative enough...," the "father" complained. "And have you forgotten who the senior agent here is?"

"Hi Harley," Lee said, smiling though the lighting was dimmed and the panel between them prevented them from making any meaningful eye contact.

"Okay, so Nelson is out of town?" Jeff Harley whispered having picked up on Lee's clue in their phone conversation.

"Yeah, I had no way of reporting to ONI," Lee explained, as his and the Admiral's morning meetings were actually debriefings that Harry would pass onto ONI after he left. He had to resort to "the confession" plan as he couldn't take the chance of reporting any other way. He already knew his office was bugged and since he was deep undercover, using his home phone was out of the question as well.

"No problem, I got your message. So what do you have?"

"I still think that my secretary is our Informer, I took the chance that she's an amateur and hid a camera. I should have my proof tomorrow."

"You're taking a chance she doesn't have detection equipment."

"I don't think so; the bug in the phone isn't state of the art. It's close, but not the latest."

"What about Nelson's secretary? Are you still considering her a suspect?"

"Other than showing up at the drop point, I don't see any other clues to implicate her."

"We put a tail on her; she's taken the same walk these last few nights."

"I'm more apt to go with Nelson's opinion on the matter," Lee concluded, as the Admiral had been emphatic about her loyalty, but even without the vote of confidence, Lee just had a feeling she was in the clear. He learned to trust those feelings years ago; he'd be cautious, but he was betting on the fact that the Informer was working alone.

But it wasn't just the Informer they were after. ONI had spent the last six weeks investigating their mission and had come to the conclusion that Dr. Gamma, a crime boss with ambitions of world-wide domination, was behind the deadly plan to stop their mission in the Arctic. They were holding out to reel in the big fish... Dr. Gamma himself.

"So how do you think it's going?"

"Well, we've established that I'm a dirty rotten scoundrel, selling out my country. If Gamma wants to cash in on my lack of morals, he's going to have to make contact soon. I chose Seaview's computer codes because I'm pretty sure we got his attention on the run to the Arctic. We out-performed his best assets and if everything I've read in his dossier holds true, he's got a big, fat green eye on her right now."

"So you've set yourself up with a big, fat target on your back," Harley noted, summing up the situation cleverly.

"I should be safe enough. Gamma is going to want to exploit all that I can give him. He'll see the value in keeping me healthy and working so I can add to his collection of informers," Lee reasoned. "So far, we're dealing with in betweens," he continued. "I'll do my best to draw out the big guy."

"Acknowledged. Good luck, Lee."

"Thanks, but if we don't flush him out on Friday, we're going to have to get more aggressive in the set-up."

"I'll pass that on to the Brass. Oh and Lee... _My child_ ," he recited, slipping into his priest cover, "You're still a dirty, rotten scoundrel, even after confession," Harley joked as Lee smiled and chuckled lightly.

"Can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to all of this coming to a close. I'd really much rather be running my boat. Bye Harley."

Lee left the confession booth, dipping his head slightly and placing on sunglasses so he could scan the cathedral without anyone watching his eyes. He left for home, figuring that at least the next two nights should be quiet since the drop-off wasn't scheduled till Friday noon. He was pretty tired; normally when on a mission, he was fully immersed into a role far from home. In this case, it was like juggling two jobs, as he had to make sure that he put in a full day's work to keep from alerting their Informer, while keeping up the subterfuge required to draw out the person responsible for Captain Phillips' murder... and maybe even reel in Dr. Gamma at the same time.

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Dr. Gamma sat back in his luxurious wing-backed chair. His signature smoking jacket was accompanied by his just as signature long-filtered cigarette. He blew a puff of sculptured smoke out as he silently contemplated the report he just received from the Nelson Institute. His girl on the inside was continuing to produce worthwhile information, and he had no trouble reimbursing her efforts. This time she had produced a jackpot, as she intercepted a deal Crane was involved with to sell Seaview's computer codes. He had authorized the purchase of Crane's last deal, a Scramble Box the latest in navy technology, just to see if he was indeed dealing in legitimate goods. It had checked out, furthermore, Aubrey Stone reported that Crane had made inferences to connections on the east coast. He had verified that a lucrative bit of information had been leaked to the highest bidder and coincided with Crane's presence there several weeks ago.

He smiled deviously. He could still remember the impassioned speech he gave to his organization, warning them at their last failure that they would not underestimate the formidable foe of Nelson, Seaview and her Captain ever again. He was therefore delighted to find the turn of events had revealed Crane's true colors. Every man can be bought, he thought to himself, and it looks like someone already figured out that Crane was buyable. Now all he needed to do was to step in and make working for him worth Crane's time and effort.

Gamma picked up his over-sized brandy glass, swishing around the dark liquid as he thought over his options. He decided upon a course of action and smiled, then threw back the contents of his glass and laughed. Nelson would be sorry he ever chose to cross paths with him. Soon Seaview would be his, commanded by his wonder-boy captain, Lee Crane.

Yes… this was going to work out just fine.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Lee headed to work feeling better, having gotten a good night's sleep. The fact that the exchange wasn't going down till tomorrow had something to do with that. He'd been in the espionage business long enough to know that he couldn't let down his guard, but it would be nice to spend his day as Seaview's captain and not have to play traitor. To this end he started out his day in the sub pen, walking through the boat and soaking in the marvel of her brilliant design.

Seaview was quiet, small details of maintenance crews were scattered about the boat, but the control room was currently empty as Lee stood and soaked in the feel of the extraordinary boat. The last mission was still vivid in his mind as he remembered the battle with the submarine at depth.

 _He had maneuvered past deadly torpedoes but the submarine was relentless in its pursuit. The torpedoes exploded all too close, rocking the boat back and forth in a fury._

" _She's your baby, Admiral. How much pressure can she take?" Lee asked, urgently needing an advantage at this point._

" _3,400 feet... on the drawing board," Harry replied, understanding that Lee needed full disclosure past the published specs to beat his adversary._

" _Take us to 3,300, all dive. Full speed ahead," Lee ordered as the junior officer called out depth readings._

" _She'll blow, we can go deeper than she can," Harry noted, reiterating Lee's plan in affirmation._

 _Seaview raced for the depths as two more torpedoes pursued her six, exploding dangerously close in a nearby sea mount as Seaview dove ever deeper. The sub pursued, though Lee couldn't fathom why. It was highly unlikely they could take the depths of Nelson's wonder sub. Then it happened; an underwater explosion way too close, accompanied by shock waves that rocked the boat. Lee grabbed onto the chart table and held on tight, his ribs pulling under the strain even though his run-in with the squid was five days ago. He ignored his ribs, quickly turning to assess the boat when he was greeted to the news they were looking for; clear patch water... dead ahead._

Lee sighed at the memory. Though he regretted the loss of life of the sailors aboard the enemy sub, he was extremely satisfied at how the crew performed under pressure, how the boat took the depths with such ease, and how well she responded to his command. Seaview was a special boat, and though he had only commanded her for a little over three weeks he felt he had a deep connection with her. He smiled to himself and ran an appreciative hand over the periscope island rail, then patted it lightly.

"You're a very special Lady, Seaview," he whispered intimately; and as he walked away, he could have sworn he heard her purr even though her engines were dead in port.

 _ **VTTBOTS VTTBOTS VTTBOTS**_

"So," Chip said in between french fry bites. "You never did tell me why Wilson was such a jackass on the last voyage."

Lee responded with a slight chuckle. "You noticed that too?" he returned with a slight shake of his head. Wilson had dismissed him like the hired help from the get go, even to the point of cutting him off in mid-sentence as Lee tried to welcome him aboard.

" _Hello Crane," was rendered with such disdain it was practically dripping with sarcasm and mockery._

 _Chip had indeed noticed both Wilson's rude interruption and the obvious lack of respect of the captain of the boat. Anyone else would have missed the shock his attitude had invoked on Seaview's temporary captain, but Chip could tell Lee was affected by the response. It seemed Wilson wasn't satisfied with just the one jab, as he seemed to use every chance he could get to belittle Lee. Fortunately, Wilson spent most of his time in the observation lounge where his under the radar jabs weren't witnessed by the crew._

 _Even after Lee found the sonar mast, Wilson had found a way to take credit for successful retrieval of the vital equipment. It had taken the entire dive party to liberate Lee from the clutches of the squid, and after the captain was free he was barely able to swim back, requiring divers under both arms. While the dive party escorted him back in, Wilson retrieved the sonar mast. Everyone, including Lee, was grateful that Wilson hadn't lost sight of the mission, for indeed they couldn't proceed under the ice without the mast, but it was the unbridled arrogance of Wilson's words announcing his find that raised eyebrows._

" _Mission accomplished!" he stated proudly, holding the sonar mast up in victory._

 _Lee had been gracious even then, reaching out and shaking Wilson's hand and offering his thanks, even though he was more than a little "sore" as he had cryptically reported to the Admiral._

"Who couldn't notice?" Chip replied with a raised eyebrow. "It was clear there was some sort of bad blood between you two."

"The bad feelings were mostly on his part," Lee corrected, "Though I did get a belly full during the mission. I'm afraid I let it show a couple of times," he admitted with a shy smile as he recalled Wilson's arrogance on another occasion.

" _I'm the best diver aboard," Wilson declared without an ounce of humility._

" _Forgive me, I didn't realize," Lee returned sardonically. "We almost left without you."_

 _All that was followed up after the dive by, "Told you I was the best diver on the boat," with no mention to those in the missile room that it had been Lee who had found the mast just prior to being dragged away by the deadly sea beast._

 _Lee didn't care at that point, all that mattered was the mission; and frankly right now, all he wanted was out of his dive suit and pointed in the direction of the nearest bottle of aspirin._

"You really want to know?" Lee said, lowering his eyes as if truly interested in his empty plate before him.

Chip could see there was a good story behind Lee's embarrassment and cracked a devious smile.

"You know the saying," he teased. "Confession is good for the soul."

Lee laughed with him then sighed.

"I dated Wilson's niece... Wendy," he answered blandly as Chip's eyes went wide in understanding.

"Wendy? As in Wendy Wilson?" he asked incredulously, remembering Lee's only steady girlfriend during their Annapolis days. She and Lee had become quite an item, having met on a Friday evening excursion into town. They had hit it off and seemed to enjoy one another's company. Things started going south however, when Wendy started putting the pressure on Lee to quit the Academy and go to work for her rich daddy. She had no trouble being escorted on the arm of the handsome cadet in his service whites, but she had no intention of being a military wife. Her father agreed and offered Lee a lucrative position in his manufacturing firm. It hadn't been a pleasant parting of ways, as Lee was accused of being uncreative and unimaginative because he counted it his duty and his dream to continue his chosen career in the navy. It was a package deal; to turn down the job meant to walk away from the relationship.

"Geez, and I thought it was because he didn't like the way you drove a sub," Chip teased back.

Lee laughed. "I only met Fred a couple of times at a few family dinners, the last time he was sitting next to Wendy's dad and looking at me like I had lobsters coming out of my ears for not taking the deal."

"That's a long time to hold a grudge," Chip noted. "It's not like you were engaged or anything."

Lee raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "I don't know Chip, it could have ended up that way. We were getting real close. I just figured that whenever I did find a wife she would share in my love of the sea and understand my duty."

Chip nodded understandably.

"So Wilson held Wendy's broken heart over you?"

"I'd hardly call it a broken heart, she was dating another guy by the next Friday night," Lee replied with a shrug. "Another cadet, Jonesy."

"That's right, Rick Jones, didn't he drop out...," he faded out as he connected the dots and realized that Jonesy had taken the "Deal" and had gotten both the job and Wendy.

"Bingo," Lee replied.

"Well at least Wilson got over it. I guess saving his life had something to do with it," Chip offered.

"Yeah, he loosened up. The voyage back was a lot better than the pressure cooker run to the Arctic. I can tell you, I didn't need the added pressure of his attitude on those first eleven days," Lee admitted.

Chip sighed, his countenance changed as the seriousness of the mission came back into focus.

"You did an incredible job, Lee. It's almost like Seaview was made for you."

Lee smiled, clearly appreciating Chip's assessment. "Thanks Chip, but Seaview and her crew will make any captain look good."

"No Lee," Chip disagreed. "It takes more than silver oak leaves on your collar to command Seaview."

Lee nodded graciously, accepting Chip's compliment before sighing and turning the conversation into a new direction.

"Well, I guess we better get back to the office then," Lee suggested as the two wrapped up their amicable lunch. Inside, Lee was more than pleased to be working with Chip and silently grateful that their connection as academy cadets hadn't been lost over the years; brothers they were back then, and brothers they still were. The thought brought a smile as he left the restaurant content.

 _ **VTTBOTS VTTBOTS VTTBOTS**_

Lee and Chip returned to the NIMR parking lot just in time to see a car being towed away by the Institute garage services. The reserved parking spot gave the car owner's identity away, as Angie Fields watched from the sidewalk.

"What's the trouble, Angie?" Lee asked, getting out and closing the car door behind him.

"I'm not sure, it just wouldn't turn over," she replied a bit frustrated. "Sully in Motor Pool said he'd take a look at it for me."

"Good," Lee answered. "Hopefully it will be ready soon. Come up, I'll buy you a cup of coffee," Lee offered jokingly as coffee was provided without charge, while gently herding her from the curb.

Angie shrugged, realizing Lee was trying to help her unwind after the frustration of her car not starting.

"Did you have lunch?" Lee asked with a light hand across her back.

"No, I haven't had time, I've been messing with my car since I came down," she replied with a sigh, trying to release the tension.

"Well then, how about I buy you that cup of coffee in the lunch room?" Lee suggested as they walked toward the elevator.

"Oh, I'm fine. I really don't need to eat; I have so much to do..."

Lee's mock scowl stopped her in mid-sentence, capitulating with a smile as Lee pressed the Up button.

"I'll see you two upstairs," Chip said with a wave, realizing Lee had everything under control.

"See you, Chip," Lee replied as the blond officer took the stairs while they waited for the car to return to their floor.

They boarded the elevator as Lee reached for the Third Floor button.

"I really should be working on the Admiral's letter to the Foundation supporters. He'll need it when he returns," Angie said, trying to talk Lee out of her need to eat lunch.

"I'm sure a half hour won't delay it that long," Lee returned. "And besides, Miss Fields," he added with a straight face while watching the elevator light illuminate on the third floor. "I'm not accustomed to my orders being questioned."

Angie studied his profile, trying to figure out if he was serious or not. Was he really "ordering" her to eat? He cracked a small smile that broke the tension of her concern as she joined him in a soft chuckle.

"Aye, aye Sir," she answered with a sloppy salute. "Is that nautical enough?" she returned as the two deboarded the elevated laughing and relaxed.

She grabbed a quick lunch as Lee drank of cup of coffee with her, taking the time to go over a few things he needed to know about the inner workings of the Institute. It turned out to be a productive half hour as Lee escorted her up to the fourth floor, where the Command Crew's offices were located. But before they even reached the fourth floor, the rumor mill was spinning about the new Captain and Angie having a cozy lunch together, laughing and chatting like they were old chums.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Lee shut down his computer and cleared his desk. It had been a productive day, as he hadn't had to play Traitor and could truly put his effort into his new job. It frankly felt wonderful, and he could already tell he had made the right decision when he accepted the Admiral's job offer. It was a big decision, but one that he was ready to make with no regrets. His new post aboard Seaview required him to retire to the Reserves, something that would definitely slow down what had been a surprisingly fast rise in the ranks and he realized that he might just be saying good bye to a set of full bars on his shoulders and the full bird eagles on his collar. Still, he counted it a small price to pay to command Seaview.

"Heading out, Captain Crane?" Aubrey asked, as Lee locked his office door behind him.

"Yes, have a good evening Miss Stone," he replied with a smile. He didn't need to explain why he was leaving ten minutes early besides, he had no doubt the film in his pocket would implicate Miss Stone as the inside leak responsible for Captain Phillips' death. At the very least, it would prove she had bugged his phone. He would drop off the film in the Admiral's office where he would take care of the evidence upon his return tomorrow morning.

"Okay, you too," Aubrey replied, adding a polite smile that faded as he walked away. She made sure he was out of sight before picking up her phone and dialing her contact.

"He's leaving now," she reported and then hung up, silently counting the days till she retired on that Caribbean island.

 _ **VTTBOTS VTTBOTS VTTBOTS**_

"Hi Angie," Lee greeted, pulling the envelope from his breast jacket pocket. "I need this placed in the Admiral's safe; Top Priority."

"Of course, Lee," she replied reaching for the envelope. "I'll be right back," she said with a pleasant smile as Lee watched the petite brunette head into Harry's office. He broke away his stare out of politeness, but he couldn't help but notice how beautiful, witty, charming and sweet Miss Angie Fields was. It was just a passing thought, as Lee's naval training kicked in and he realized immediately how much trouble office romances often turned out to be and in most cases, affected the professionalism of the office.

She returned to her office, speaking as she rounded her desk. "Okay, it's all secure. Do you need to leave the Admiral a note or is he expecting the package?"

"He's expecting it," Lee said, sliding onto the edge of her desk as her phone rang.

"Admiral Nelson's office, Miss Field speaking... Oh yes... I see... but the part will be in tomorrow? Very well then, thank you so much, Sully. I appreciate it. Okay... goodnight." She hung up and sighed, heaving her shoulders elegantly in the process.

"Bob Sullivan in Motor Pool found the trouble with my car. He's going to order the part but it won't be ready until tomorrow," she explained as she reached for her rolodex. "I guess I'll call a taxi..."

"Nonsense, I'll take you home. That is, if you don't mind riding in my convertible?"

She started to protest, but then smiled and sighed, graciously accepting his offer. "If you're sure it's no trouble?"

"Not at all. I'm still learning my way around town, so it's a great chance for me to get a guided tour," he answered with a smile.

"Okay, I can arrange for a ride into work tomorrow with Tara in Data Processing, she works from seven to four, but that's fine with me," she added, taking care of tomorrow's commute.

"Sounds like a plan, are you ready? I can wait if you need a few more minutes," Lee offered.

"No need, now is just fine," she said locking her desk and reaching for her purse. "Thanks so much for doing this," she returned pleasantly as they pulled the door closed and she locked her office securely.

"My pleasure," Lee said sincerely as the two headed for the elevators, chatting comfortably as they walked.

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Gamma's men waited inconspicuously down the street, and watched as the red convertible sports car passed them. They pulled out slowly, tailing their target at a safe distance.

"He has that brunette with him," the passenger reported on a two-way radio, holding it to his ear to hear above the traffic. "Yeah, the one he met in the park after the drop-off... Okay... Right Boss." He signed off and turned toward the driver.

"The Boss says to stay with the girl, he's got Crane covered."

The driver nodded and continued his tail driving past the red convertible as it pulled into the driveway of a quiet neighborhood. They noted the house as they drove by and waited for Crane to pull away, then drove back to collect their target.

 _ **VTTBOTS VTTBOTS VTTBOTS**_

Lee entered his house through his attached garage, whistling to himself as he tossed his keys on the coffee table. He headed upstairs taking the steps two at a time. His house had been secured for him by a real estate agent while he was still on the east coast. He was still moving in, and with the ONI mission he hadn't made much progress. He ignored the packed boxes along the way and headed to his bedroom to change out of his uniform as he needed to make another trip to the cathedral tonight. He emerged from his room wearing black jeans and a coordinating dark button up shirt. He checked his watch, satisfied that he would be able to make his "confession" and reached for his keys on the coffee table. Just then he heard a noise from behind him as a large arm wrapped itself around his neck. Lee intended to issue an elbow to his assailant's gut but was immediately jabbed with a needle straight into his neck with the effects of the drug working immediately. He blinked heavily as his assailant loosened his hold and he crumbled to the floor. As he fell he heard one of the men talking on a radio and then signing off. His eyes were barely open in slits as he concentrated on the sounds around him.

"Perkins says they got his girlfriend, he'll be by with the van in a few minutes..."

The rest of the conversation blurred as he faded far too quickly into a deep canyon of darkness, but as he lost consciousness he latched on to the one word that bewildered him... "girlfriend."

"He's out cold," one reported, squatting down beside Crane and lightly slapping his face to gauge his wakefulness.

"He'd better be, there was enough soporific to put out a rhino," his partner replied, peeking out through the drawn curtains through a small opening. "Okay, the van just pulled up... let's wait until the side door is open."

They waited then timed their departure to produce the least amount of time to expose themselves, as they carried Crane with an arm over both their shoulders. Gamma's men worked quickly, efficiently stashing Crane inside the van with very little opportunity for the abduction to be noticed. The men climbed in and the van pulled out just as the last door was closed.

Inside, Angie Fields sat on the van floor next to an unconscious Lee Crane. A small bead of blood rolled down his neck, marking the spot where he'd been injected, but other than that he appeared unharmed. Her wrists were taped together in front of her, as she reached for Lee's limp hand. She squeezed tightly, taking a small measure of comfort even though he was unconscious; but she was scared... as scared as she had ever been her entire life. She had opened her door to a man wearing a delivery jacket and holding a package; it was foolish she realized, as she wasn't expecting a delivery. It happened so quickly, he jammed his foot in the doorway and easily pushed his way in, placing one big, burly hand over her mouth, the other around her waist. He told her they were taking a little ride, and not to worry, her "boyfriend" would be there too. She had no idea who they were talking about until they threw Lee's body into the back of the van. He had changed, now wearing dark jeans and a casual shirt, as she loosened the top button to make him more comfortable. She herself was a rumpled mess. Her normally perfect, always-in-place hair style was disheveled, as were her clothes. Her professional skirt and jacket were wrinkled from the rough handling as she was deposited none-too-gently in the back of the van.

From her position on the floorboard, she couldn't see where they were going as they drove for at least an hour before the van slowed to turn into a parking lot and then stopped. The four abductors blocked her view, so she couldn't see what the building looked like, but she heard the sound of a metal door rolling before the van pulled into what she now realized was a warehouse. In all that time, Lee hadn't moved once or indicated any wakefulness whatsoever. She continued to hold his hand as the side door of the van opened.

"Okay Doll Face, time for you and your boyfriend to move to your new digs."

Lee was pulled out first and carried by his shoulders and feet as Angie walked behind him, escorted by a rather large man. She obeyed without question, grateful that it appeared they would be kept together as they were taken into a room off the main warehouse. The warehouse itself was apparently, abandoned with large twenty foot ceilings supported by beams with evidence of an overhead crane used at one time. The skylights placed strategically across the ceiling had long since lost their usefulness as years of dust and dirt, dimmed most of the sunlight that might have otherwise offered its illumination.

The room they were deposited in was equally dusty and dirty, having not had a broom taken to its floors in what Angie perceived to be years. It was cleared of all furniture, with the only window boarded solidly from the outside.

They placed Lee in the middle of the floor as a moan eased out while he rolled his head. She thought perhaps he was waking but he remained unconscious, even as her large escort turned toward her and pulled out a switchblade. Her eyes gave away her fear but she held back her gasp as he took a step toward her.

"Give me your hands," he ordered as she obeyed immediately, raising her bound hands before him. He quickly sliced through the tape as she let out a relieved sigh. He laughed, knowing he had frightened her and smiled deviously.

"Don't worry Doll-Face, ain't no-one going to bother you. Your boyfriend is just going to get a new Buyer is all," he said, laughing as he left.

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Harley sat in the dark confession booth quietly tapping his toe and waiting for Lee to report. The booth was thankfully marked out of service, so he had at least, not had to fake his way through a real confession. He checked his watch and heaved a sigh out loud as he realized that Lee was over an hour late. He had a bad feeling about this, he thought pessimistically and then reassessed the situation when he realized that maybe it was going exactly as planned. They had set up a phony deal to sell Seaview's computer codes in the hopes of catching Gamma's attention. The "sale" was scheduled for Friday noon, and there was more than a good chance that the Doctor had decided to intercept Lee a day early in order to cut a new deal. If so, he would have to move fast as the deal could be going down at this very moment.

Harley made his decision and exited the confession booth trying to leave the church without being noticed. He needed to report; something told him that things were going to hit the fan fast.

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"Lee?"

Lee tossed his head, trying to fight his way to consciousness. He heard a voice from far away; he couldn't quite place it, though he realized it was a woman. His breathing turned slightly distressing as he found himself waking to a groggy, soupy fog. He was disoriented and realized that he was sporting a rather large, pounding headache as his pain receptors kicked in. He realized he'd been drugged, as his consciousness began returning his reasoning abilities to him in small pieces. He breathed heavily then forced his eyelids open, quickly squeezing them shut again as the drug had been quite potent; by the feel of it, he'd guess they had used a quick release, time sensitive knock out drug. They were developed to work fast but only keep the victim unconscious for one to two hours so that impatient interrogators could get to work faster. The result was a fantastic headache and sore muscles as the time released ingredient woke up the unfortunate soul, forcing his body to absorb the drug quickly and producing the uncomfortable side-effects.

"Lee?"

He heard her clearly that time as Lee opened his eyes and turned his head to his left.

"Angie?" he recognized, still putting things together, though it was coming back quickly now.

"How long?" he asked, taking in their location and sizing up the situation as he forced his brain to concentrate, despite his headache.

"You've been out for about two hours," she explained, her lips slightly quivering as Lee now realized she was holding his hand. He squeezed back, trying to offer her hope and silently berated himself for not guessing that Gamma might take him tonight, rather than tomorrow.

"We drove for about an hour, and we've been here for about the same," she continued.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, still lying on his back with one hand across his stomach, the other holding her hand.

"Yes, they haven't hurt me."

Lee was feeling stronger so he moved to sit up with Angie lending a hand, as she guided him to a nearby wall to rest his back against. He looked around the room, spotting the boarded window and the door with a small twelve inch square window currently framing the face of one of their abductors watching him wake up. He realized that there was only one way to play this, as he remembered what Gamma's men called Angie... his girlfriend.

He reached up and caressed her cheek in familiarity, but she didn't flinch away, needing the comfort just now.

"I'm sorry I got you into this, but you need to do everything I tell you if you want to get out of this alive," he admonished.

She nodded, not sure how to take his tone, but willing to let Lee take the lead, confident that his training as a naval officer would keep them alive.

"Of course," she responded.

The door opened at that point as a large man wearing all black entered.

"The Boss wants to see you Crane."

Lee nodded and stood, he had recovered from the grogginess, though his headache still persisted. Still, he couldn't show any weakness; it was time to play dirty, rotten scoundrel selling out his country. He only hoped the innocent young lady holding onto his hand for dear life could play along… for her sake as well as his.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Admiral Nelson stood beside his sliding glass door watching the dark ocean from his beachside home. On the table behind him sat a sophisticated piece of equipment, currently being monitored by an ONI Agent as his partner, Jeff Harley reported to Washington on the phone. The package Lee left in Harry's safe had already been retrieved and was currently being developed at that very moment.

Harry had been part of the ONI operation from the beginning. Though he hadn't been happy putting his new captain in the cross-hairs, his experience and current association with ONI made him the perfect person to draw out the Informer at NIMR. Somebody on the inside sold out the meeting details with the presidential counsel, and as such was directly responsible for the ambush that led to the loss of six good men, including Captain John Phillips. Harry couldn't stomach the fact that he had a traitor… an enemy among his own people and had gladly played his part to flush that person out. But ONI had an even more ambitious plan, as they also hoped to make contact and infiltrate Dr. Gamma's organization. Gamma had been quickly identified as the responsible party once the details of the Arctic mission had come to light. It was their hope to draw the elusive crime boss out into the open, and hopefully shut him down for good.

To this end, an elaborate undercover sting had been concocted to draw out Gamma's organization. It was indeed lofty hopes to believe that Gamma himself would be drawn out, but they presumed they had given him big enough bait to take a personal interest, namely, Seaview and her captain.

Harley hung up the phone and walked to the dining room table.

"Anything?"

The agent manning the equipment nodded his head side to side. "Nothing, he hasn't activated his Tracer yet."

Harry turned at the sound of the front door opening as Chip Morton entered, wearing civvies; blue jeans and a button up oxford.

"What did you find, Chip?" Harry inquired.

"Not much," Chip reported. As Lee's friend, it made more sense for him to check Crane's place for any bread crumbs Lee might have left for them.

"His keys are on the coffee table and his car is in the garage. There's indication of a small struggle in the living room..."

"Indications?" Harley interrupted.

"The plush carpet shows foot prints and a spot where it looks like someone was dropped, other than that everything else looks normal."

Harry frowned; he wasn't happy with how this had turned out. He lost Phillips, a damn good officer and a good friend; finding the caliber of officer and sub commander in Lee Crane had been an unexpected acquisition. Lee's competency with handling such a unique vessel as Seaview had been extraordinary. The fact that he was more than a fine officer, but a rare man of high personal quality impressed Harry. He wasn't a man easily impressed, but even years ago he recognized Lee's potential as a young lieutenant serving aboard the Nautilus. The young officer had spent the first half of his year as an ensign aboard a destroyer, then the second half in submarine school; Harry had noticed his potential even then. It was no surprise to see the young man rise in the ranks to become the youngest man in the fleet to command a nuclear submarine. Lee had only served with him for a short time before Harry received his first star and a new post in Washington, so the fact that he was also a trained agent for the Office of Naval Intelligence had been quite a surprise. In retrospect, he could see just how Lee's unorthodox entry aboard Seaview had been achieved. He'd been told that the best sub commander in the navy had been requisitioned for him, but they had failed to indicate that he was getting a super spy as well.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted as the front door opened and another ONI agent entered carrying a large envelope.

Harley took possession of the envelope and spread the photos over the table as Harry picked one up, staring down at the twenty-seven year old red head that had served as John Phillips' secretary for the last six months, up until his death. Each successive photo told the story as she picked up the phone, opened the mouth piece, placed the disk into a small cassette case, and then listened on her cassette player. The final pictures were of her returning the disk to the mouth piece so she could get the next piece of vital information.

"Do you recognize her?" Harley asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harry nodded as he curled his bottom lip tightly, while Chip looked over his shoulder, barely holding in his own fuming list of words for the red-head.

"That's Aubrey Stone, both John's and Lee's secretary," he answered, not bothering to hide his disgust at discovering the enemy among them to be one of their most trusted employees.

"Alright, we'll put a tail on her till this is all done. We don't want to interfere with anything Lee's doing right now," Harley announced.

"Let's just make sure she doesn't slip from our fingers," Harry admonished. "She has a lot to answer for," he finished, turning and catching the same sentiments in Chip's eyes.

Harley turned back to the agent who brought the pictures and issued his new assignment as Harry moved back to the sliding glass window, staring out at the waves advancing and retreating on the shoreline.

"Sir? Are you alright?" Chip asked softly, moving alongside Harry.

"I'm fine, Chip," he replied evenly. "It's Lee I'm worried about," he answered, never turning from the ocean view in front of him as Chip nodded silently, then retreated to give the Admiral room to think.

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Lee took Angie by the hand and squeezed, he added something with his eyes that he hoped she could read, if not... well she was about to get the shock of her life.

They followed their guard out to the main warehouse where a middle aged man stood next to a table that had been divested of the years of dust, beside him sat a briefcase.

"My name is Mr. Townsend. I understand you have something to sell. I'm authorized to offer you a new deal," he said, beginning his negotiations as Lee could feel the tension in Angie rise.

"Yeah, I've got something to sell, but I'm not accustomed to be kidnapped in the process," he returned darkly. The gasp from beside him wasn't what he wanted to hear, as Angie reacted to the scene playing out before her. Her shock was apparent, as she caught on fast even without being privy to the details and quickly sized up Lee as a traitor; he'd have to come up with a good cover.

"Your lady friend seems a bit shocked, Crane," Mr. Townsend replied lifting an appraising eyebrow.

"She likes the furs, jewels and traveling... she'll get over the shock. Now, let's deal," Lee said holding tightly to her hand to keep her from flinching away. "First, who do you work for and how do I know your money is good," he continued.

Townsend seemed to assess her reaction then moved on, completely ignoring her for the duration of their bargaining session.

"My employer wishes to remain anonymous; as for his money, it's as green as the next guy's."

"Not good enough," Lee said, dropping her hand and taking an intimidating step forward. "Look, I might be new to the west coast, but I'm not new to the game. I have a buyer already for my goods. If I double-cross him I'd better have a pretty big name to fall back on."

Townsend's eyes narrowed. "First let's talk about the goods; the new security computer codes for your submarine, Seaview," he said, indicating he was well informed.

Angie gasped, her eyes widening in shock. How could she have misread Captain Crane?

Lee turned toward her, willing her to play along with his eyes, as he scoffed.

"What? You never questioned where the money came from before." He turned back to Townsend and ignored her stare of disbelief that he could feel burning through the back of his head.

"Let's get on with it," he said harshly. "So you found out what I was selling," he noted. "Fine, three hundred grand cash; deposited straight to my account in the Alps."

"Your deal was one hundred grand," Townsend countered.

"That was before you drugged me, grabbed my girl, and dragged me to this abandoned warehouse in the middle of who-knows-where," Lee yelled.

"We have ways to get the codes without paying you a dime," Townsend warned.

"Give it your best shot," Lee shot back. "You wouldn't be the first to try."

Townsend paused, considering the man before him and assessing the dangerous look in his eyes.

"I'm authorized for one hundred and fifty grand... no more," he said finally.

"Well then I think we're done here," Lee said, turning to leave.

"We make a deal or you don't leave here alive," Townsend warned as Lee turned back sharply.

"You think it's that easy?" Lee countered.

"We could persuade you using your lady friend here..."

"You touch her and there won't be a place on this earth you can hide from me," he promised darkly. "Listen, you get a hold of your Boss, tell him I want a face to face. Tell him if he's got deep pockets, I've got way more than he's ever dreamed of."

"Like what, for instance?" Townsend asked, crossing his arms in front of him and trying to appear in control of the bargaining, even though Lee was clearly directing it at this point.

"In six weeks, Seaview sets sail to study black chimney smokers on the Pacific floor... that's our cover anyway..."

"Lee!" Angie yelled trying to stop him, as Lee smiled inwardly; her reaction adding to the importance of the secret mission.

"Quiet Baby," he yelled over his shoulder as Townsend stepped forward in anticipation.

"Yes?"

"That's all you get. I want a face to face with your Boss," he would have liked to have negotiated for Angie's release, but he didn't trust these men and he wanted her close by so he could protect her.

"I will confer with my Boss," Townsend conceded as he picked up his briefcase and walked toward the main warehouse doors.

Lee leaned casually against the table with his arms folded across his chest as Angie moved a bit closer. They were still surrounded by men and there was no privacy, so he remained in his cover, a cover he knew was disgusting the beautiful brunette. She followed his lead, not talking or discussing her concerns as Townsend returned about thirty minutes later.

"The Boss says he'll meet with you, and Crane... if I were you, I'd be a bit more respectful," Townsend warned as the sound of a helicopter could be heard in the distance. Townsend produced two black blindfolds, handing them to his men to fasten as Lee glared darkly.

"What is this, Townsend?"

"Just some insurance, Captain Crane."

Lee relented as he looked Angie in the eyes and smiled. "It will be alright," he whispered gently as the blindfolds were tied in place.

With his eyesight neutralized, it was no surprise to feel the big guard secure his hands behind his back.

"More insurance, Townsend?" Lee yelled angrily.

"Dr. Gamma doesn't like to take chances."

Lee effectively kept his face even, but he was inwardly pleased. He was being taken to see the big boss himself, Dr. Sebastian Gamma, a self-declared genius with plans for world-wide dominance and control; the number one enemy of most of the free nations of the world and unwelcomed in a good deal of the remaining nations. This was what Lee was after; he would have been ecstatic except for the young lady who walked beside him; she was never supposed to be part of this deal.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N – Here's a gift for you weekend readers. Thanks for following the story. Subjockey**

 **Chapter Nine**

Harley hung up the phone and turned toward Nelson.

"No word from Lee yet. He hasn't activated his tracer unit, but frankly, he wouldn't until he had Gamma's whereabouts or... things got unbearably sticky."

Harry wasn't the least bit comforted by Harley's last statement as he held his opinion and listened to the agent's assessment of the mission. He wasn't a novice to ONI as he'd given his fair share of blood, sweat and tears for the espionage agency himself. He knew exactly how it worked, and so he had surprised even himself to realize just how much Lee's involvement with the agency was grating on him. He just didn't want to lose another captain... another friend, he told himself.

"Look, I know you're both concerned about Lee, but listen... we've worked together in the past. Lee has a way of getting in and getting the job done. We're just going to have to wait this out," Harley explained, then moved back over to the agent monitoring the tracer unit to give Nelson and Morton room to think things through.

Chip leaned over with his elbows resting on his knees and sighed, as he sat adjacent to Harry for a few moments of silence before he spoke.

"I knew ONI was trying to recruit him," he said at last. "But I honestly thought I talked him out of it. They said it was that weird language thing," he said almost distantly with a smile. "You know he can learn a language, totally immerse himself in it and be talking with the locals in weeks," Chip continued. "It's weird, I don't know how he learns the vocabulary, much less the accent," he mused almost to himself. "And I guess it didn't hurt that he was boxing champ at the Academy," he added. "But I sure thought I talked him out of it. I'm pretty sure he feels it's his duty... after what happened to his dad," he added softly.

"I saw that in his service record," Harry confirmed.

"He was only four years old when his dad's plane was shot down over Korea," Chip continued, somehow needing to talk. They had gotten close as brothers at the Academy and then went their separate ways, it just didn't seem right to lose his brother again, not after reconnecting again.

"His father was only shot down because he continued to circle another downed pilot's aircraft, drawing their fire until the rescue chopper arrived," Harry said, filling in the blanks. "His ploy worked, he continued to strafe the enemy and kept them off the downed pilot. When the chopper arrived they were able to rescue both of them, the other pilot made it... Lee's father died in the chopper."

"I knew that duty thing ran deep," Chip said quietly, completely understanding duty, but for Lee it was something more. "I'd like to be mad at him for signing up, but I guess it's in his blood."

Harry reached over and patted Chip's shoulder; it wasn't something he did often. He stood up and turned the retrospective moment over to a different mood entirely.

"I've read his service record, Chip. He's up for the task, we'll be hearing from him," Harry added confidently and headed for a refill on his coffee.

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The blindfold was placed around Angie's eyes and tied behind her head. She reached out and found Lee's arm and hooked her hand through it, she couldn't see but she could tell his hands were tied behind his back. They had left her hands untied; presumably she was on the honor system. She reached out to Lee not because she believed in him, but because it was her only chance of getting out of this alive. She had read his subtle signs, begging her to play along and she got the picture. They thought she was his girlfriend, if they knew she was loyal to NIMR, loyal to Nelson, and most of all loyal to her country, then she might find herself being labeled unnecessary baggage to this endeavor. Crane wanted her to play like she was his girlfriend, so that's what she was doing. But when this was all over, she'd make sure that the Admiral knew just what kind of man Lee Crane was.

Lee felt a small measure of relief when Angie slid her hand into his arm. He had no way to respond with his hands secured behind his back, but at least she was showing some signs of affection. He would need that to keep Gamma from doing anything drastic. He had no delusions however, on just how she felt about him personally; he could still feel her hostility. He held back a dry chuckle, too bad he was such a good actor, he thought sarcastically. No matter, as long as she played along, that's all that was important right now. He'd sort the rest out later.

They were loaded in the waiting Chopper, as Lee tried to mentally guess where the abandoned warehouse was located. He'd been out cold on the ride over and though he had studied maps of the surrounding area, this was all new territory to him. The helicopter took off as Lee purposed to keep track of the time and estimated distance based on the type of helicopter he thought they were in, when he heard a soft gasp of pain beside him followed by Angie's head falling limply on his shoulder. Before he had time to react he received a rather sharp jab from a needle and immediately felt woozy.

"Damn it Townsend," he growled out.

"Just a sedative this time, Captain Crane. Sleep well," he mocked as Lee's head fell back and sleep took him.

The next time he woke he was lying on an expensive sofa in a rather large and exquisitely decorated room. He ignored everything around him as he sat up looking for Angie, and was relieved to see her lying on another sofa. She was still asleep, as Lee realized their blindfolds had been removed and he was no longer bound. He went immediately to her side and felt her forehead, then ran a gentle hand down to cup her cheek.

"Angie," he called softly, not necessarily wanting to alert his "hosts" to his wakefulness yet. He noticed that he didn't have any of the symptoms of the earlier drug and surmised that Townsend had told him the truth, that it was just a sedative.

As she slept, he studied her petite features and gently slid his thumb over her cheek. He noticed her skirt was hiked a little high and unfolded a small throw to cover her legs, then stood to make an assessment of his surroundings. They had been left alone, but Lee had no doubt they were being watched. Still, anyone would be curious so he checked out the room, starting with the french doors that led to a courtyard surrounded by a well-kept lawn that extended the length of a football field. In the middle of the grass sat the helicopter. He didn't want to take a chance of getting separated from Angie, especially when she was vulnerable like this, so he chose not to venture out. Besides, it was apparent they were tucked neatly into some sort of hide-away as the trees extending beyond the rod iron fence were dense. There was nothing to do but wait and see if he was going to meet the big guy after all.

He heard a moan and moved back to the sofa, sitting beside Angie as she woke up slowly. Her eyes opened as she blinked away the remains of the sedative and found Lee over her.

"Where are we?" she asked innocently, forgetting at the moment her disappointment, fast developing into full loathing for the dark haired, green eyed captain hovering over her.

"I don't know," he answered honestly and then whispered. "We're being watched." He hoped she understood what that meant as she blinked slowly, and sighed without nodding to tell him she understood. Lee smiled slightly, pleased she was catching on fast then took her by the hand to help her up.

"How do you feel?"

"A little groggy is all, I feel fine," she replied, working hard not to pull away from his touch. He was selling out his country, betraying Nelson, and about ready to align himself with one of the most dangerous men in the world; she could hardly stand the sight of him.

She sat up and found she was no worse for the wear and took in the immaculate room. A large library, the kind of den a very rich man might have with a rather large, oversized mahogany desk sitting in front of a wall of books. Though there were two sitting sofas in the room, they hardly made a dent in the space they took as the den was spacious.

"Is that a bathroom?" she asked noting a door left ajar.

"Yeah," Lee replied, having already done a three sixty of the room.

"I think I'll freshen up," she said, as Lee helped her stand. "I'm fine," she told him as he let go and caught the disappointment still evident in her eyes. He watched her elegant moves to the bathroom, even with her rumpled clothing she was still a lovely sight. Through it all she had managed to keep her shoes as her heels clicked lightly, she shut the door behind her while Lee avoided dipping his head. They were watching them, probably through closed circuit TV monitors so he'd have to show some real affection soon or they might not believe she was coming on board. That would definitely make her superfluous cargo, unnecessary baggage in their eyes, so he sincerely hoped she would respond and keep up the guise.

Angie entered the bathroom well aware that Lee was watching her every move. She took care of the necessary business and was now standing at the sink washing her hands. On the sink counter she found a brand new ladies' toiletry kit waiting for her. It was obviously left for her, or any other lady visitor for that matter who hadn't had the foresight to bring along an overnight kit. She sighed; by the looks in the mirror she decided to accept the gift. She washed her face and brushed her hair, curling it around a brush and using the travel sized hair spray. She shrugged her shoulders in surrender and opened the brand new cosmetics, picking her colors and applying the make-up to make herself presentable. They were playing a game here, one she had been dragged into unwillingly to be sure, but if she was reading Lee right, he intended on getting her out alive. She didn't know what she would owe him after that, but it wouldn't include keeping her mouth closed when they were safe. NIMR already had one traitor running around; she was Nelson's Executive Secretary and as such was well aware that someone had tipped off the death squad that ambushed the Admiral's car, and the Institute didn't need another enemy among them, particularly a traitor captain at Seaview's helm. She applied her lipstick and turned to see the change of clothes hanging, and very probably her exact size; she would skip on those. She wasn't anyone's bought woman, she thought defiantly and smoothed out her skirt. She removed her jacket as it was soiled, and was satisfied that her soft white blouse was still clean having been covered by the matching suit jacket; that would have to do.

She exited some ten minutes later looking refreshed and finding Lee looking about the room. He closed the distance quickly, taking her by the arms and rubbing intimately before he leaned down and offered a kiss. She didn't flinch away, but received his gesture as more of the game. He finished with a kiss on the cheek and then leaned in close to her ear.

"Trust me," he whispered, barely loud enough to hear and then stood back, rubbing her arms again.

"You look nice," he said, in his full voice then let go and turned around at the sound of someone else in the room.

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Harry watched as Chip paced the floor with way too much nervous energy as he carried a blue print to the dining room table.

"Chip," Harry called to the blond who definitely needed a distraction.

"Aye Sir," he replied moving immediately to Harry's side, and more than ready for any kind of action.

"I want to show you something," Harry said, rolling the blue prints out and placing a heavy crystal vase borrowed from his antique buffet to hold down one side while Chip held down the other. The young officer's eyes poured over the schematics as several emotions moved through his facial expressions. It was just the reaction Harry was going for to aid Seaview's Executive Officer with the waiting.

"Sir?" he inquired confused. "There's both depth and altitude specifications... and here," he said pointing to another spot on the blue print. "Speeds for submerged, surface AND altitude... Mach 2 no less!"

Harry grinned, letting out a satisfied chuckle in the process. "You noticed that, did you?"

Chip raised his eyes to meet Harry's and then dropped them back to the schematics.

"You mean to tell me you've developed a submersible that flies?" he asked incredulously, in a low whisper as Harry indicated he should keep his voice down with the ONI team hanging about.

"No, not developed... designed, but she'll be ready for a prototype soon."

Chip grinned, looking over the blue print with his head nodding in a mixture of disbelief and wonder.

"That's truly amazing, Sir. How do you see her deployed?"

"Well that's another idea I have," Harry said, flipping through the rolled blueprints like a boy searching for his favorite baseball card in a stack of many. He landed on the one he wanted as Chip leaned over, his eyes widening in the process.

"A retrofit on Seaview?"

"I think it will work," Harry said proudly. "But that's at least a year away; the Flying Sub will be a prototype that we operate exclusively, at least for the time being."

"That's amazing," Chip said, repeating himself in wonder. "Are you going to requisition a hot dog pilot from the Navy to fly her?" he asked, his natural questions concerning logistics spilling out effortlessly.

"Already got one," Harry answered with a grin. Chip's forehead furrowed in question as the Admiral answered his unvoiced question. "Lee."

Chip raised an eyebrow. "I know he's got his private license; he's had that since he was seventeen, but doesn't Mach 2/Jet propulsion require supersonic training?"

"Lee's got twenty hours in a T-38," Harry announced as he rolled up the blueprints.

Chip blew out an airy whistle. "Could you explain to me how a naval officer becomes the youngest man to command a nuclear sub and finds the time for flight training?"

"I'm not sure myself, but it came under special training for ONI."

"I should have known," Chip said in mock disgust.

"Oh and when she's done," Harry said tapping the blueprint to indicate which "she" he was talking about. "You'll be getting your own flight time in," Harry promised, as Chip swallowed hard, incredibly grateful that the Admiral had such faith in him.

"Gladly Sir," he accepted.

Harry nodded approvingly just as Biggs at the Tracer Unit piped up excitedly.

"I've got it! Crane's activated his Tracer!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

"Greetings Captain Crane."

Lee turned abruptly to the voice behind him, as two men entered the study. He already knew Townsend, the other he could only guess. The second man walked with an air of arrogancy that screamed self-importance and elitism. He was a medium framed man of about 5'10" with an intentionally barbered bald head. He wore an expensive Armani suit that probably cost more than Lee's monthly salary and walked with confidence and supremacy in every step. Though the deeds of Dr. Gamma were well known among the espionage agencies, they had failed to obtain a likeness of him.

Lee took Angie by the hand and stepped forward.

"Dr. Gamma, I presume," Lee greeted respectfully.

"You presume correctly, and this must be the lovely Miss Fields," Gamma said, turning his attention Angie's way.

Lee felt her tense as he held her hand.

"She's a little shy," Lee stepped in. "Something about meeting one of the most wanted men in the world," he added with a smirk.

"You're an interesting person, Crane," Dr. Gamma observed. "Six weeks ago I was ready to put a bounty out on your head, and now here you are standing before me like a lamb before the slaughter."

"Or maybe I'm standing here ready to offer you the world," Lee countered.

"You did your job too well in the Arctic," Gamma said, sitting down behind his desk and motioning Townsend to the wet bar.

"I like to stay alive, it works better that way... and besides, doing my job well is why I have such a high security clearance," Lee returned evenly.

"Yes..." Dr. Gamma drew out as Townshend returned with a brandy glass full of the amber liquid. "I think we should talk. Please Captain Crane, make yourself at home," he said pointing Lee to the wet bar to fix his own drink. "Perhaps Miss Fields would like something?" Gamma offered as he raised his glass, looking over the rim at the pretty brunette.

"No thank you," she answered shortly. She was terribly confused as he watched Lee head to the wet bar like he hadn't just offered to use his trusted position in both the Navy and NIMR to sell top secret information. When he kissed her a moment ago and whispered in her ear, she could have almost believed he wasn't a traitor, but now she was watching him change like a chameleon. She realized that Lee Crane could be anyone he wanted to be, and that she couldn't trust him past his promise to get her out of this alive.

Lee walked over to the wet bar as Dr. Gamma continued.

"So, you asked for a face to face and here we are," he said, spreading his arms out demonstratively.

"I don't like dealing with middlemen," Lee advised as he selected a bottle with one hand and reached for his belt buckle, hidden behind the wet bar. "I need to know that if I stick my neck out it will be worth the payoff," he added, sliding the small bar at the top of the buckle to the right to activate his tracer unit, then depressing down once. That was his first signal, in exactly thirty seconds he would follow it up with a second signal, authorizing a full commando raid as he indicated Gamma was with him.

He took his time behind the wet bar, throwing back the hard liquor and pouring another drink, while covertly sending his second signal.

"So what is it you're offering me?" Gamma asked. "Because you have a lot to make up for, Captain Crane."

"Our mission in six weeks doesn't have anything to do with black chimney smokers," Lee explained, now moving from behind the wet bar with his transmissions complete and his tracer unit active. "A submarine carrying nuclear weapons was lost in the south pacific three years ago," he said, piquing Gamma's interest. "It's been found, we're going to retrieve the nukes, or deactivate them if they're irretrievable. I could make sure one is left behind for a salvage operation."

"Why just one?"

Lee smiled shrewdly. "I already told you, doing my job well is how I get these special assignments."

He ignored the sigh from Angie, but Gamma noticed.

"And you my dear, you're not signed on to this venture?"

Lee avoided the look back to give her a clue as to what he wanted, but took a drink instead hoping that she knew how pivotal her answer was. Please Angie, he thought inwardly, play along.

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"Where is he?" Harry said, practically throwing his chair aside to get to Biggs as he operated the Tracer Unit.

"Northern California," he answered. "Coordinates..." Biggs stopped giving a play by play to write down the longitude and latitude that would pin-point their exact location. "Got it!" he said excitedly handing the numbers to Harley. "And he's signaled that Gamma is with him," he added excitedly.

Harley ran for the phone and dialed up his assets. It was time to call in the Marines.

"This is Venus Fly Trap; the trap has been sprung," he reported, giving the coordinates and making arrangement for an attack helicopter to pick his team up as well. He hung up the phone to find both the Admiral and Morton standing with their jackets, ready to go. Harley had already been briefed on Nelson's participation, and even if he hadn't, well those three stars were a little hard to ignore even if he was currently wearing civvies.

"Okay people," Harley called to his team. "Let's roll. The helo will be at the airport in twenty minutes."

Biggs had his Tracer Unit packed up and ready to go as they all scrambled out the door with a big prize awaiting them if they could pull this off... Dr. Sebastian Gamma.

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Angie regarded Gamma's look and his question and knew she'd blown it. So she quickly covered her blunder with what she hoped was a believable ploy to keep her important enough to stay alive.

"I just don't like the fact that Lee is talking about the nukes when you haven't settled on Seaview's computer codes yet," she answered as if jewels, furs and world travel were all she wanted out of life.

Dr. Gamma laughed as he sat back.

"Miss Fields is a shrewder business partner than you are, Crane," he laughed.

Lee smiled, despite the dis by Gamma as he decided to sweeten the pot, making sure Angie was indeed seen as a vital member of their new association.

"Maybe," he conceded, "But she's more than that, by now you know she's Nelson's Executive Secretary. Between the two us we could make you some very lucrative offers."

"I like the way you think, Captain Crane, and your lovely lady friend here proves you have not only good taste, but a level business head. You wanted three hundred thousand for Seaview's codes? I'm willing to give you two hundred and the opportunity to do business with me in the future," he added, indicating it was a take it or don't walk out of here alive deal.

Lee smiled and nodded his acceptance. "Deal, and you won't be sorry... I do good work," he added as Gamma regarded his answer and then stood.

"Very well, Captain Crane. I shall make arrangements to return you and the lovely Miss Fields back to your homes, until then please enjoy my hospitality," he said leaving the study with Townsend following closely behind.

Lee turned toward Angie and took her in his arms, still playing the "girlfriend" game as he hugged her.

"Stick with me Honey, we've got a good thing going here," he said using a double meaning to tell Angie to stay close to him. She had played this like a pro so far, he was sure she'd get the message.

They were left alone for another thirty minutes as Lee began to work through ways to delay their trip back. There was no way they would be safe on Gamma's helicopter if they missed the commando raid.

"Captain Crane," Townsend said upon entering the room again. "Dr. Gamma has something he'd like for you to see," he said pressing a button under Gamma's desk as the bookcase behind him slid open to reveal a large oversized monitor screen.

The dark screen came to life as Lee saw a man sitting in what looked like a control room of some kind. He was veiled in dark shadows, but his shiny bald head could be made out as well as the smoke that rose from his long filtered cigarette. As soon as he spoke, Lee knew they had just been had.

"Greetings Captain Crane," the man said, his velvet red smoking jacket visible even in the shadows. "I am Dr. Gamma," he said introducing himself as the "other" Gamma entered the room standing on one side of the monitor as Townsend stood on the other side.

Lee nodded his understanding. "You're the real Dr. Gamma," he stated evenly, "And this is your..."

"My decoy," he finished for Lee. "I regret a necessity of life," he explained as the shadows kept the features of his face well hidden. "I have considered your business proposal and I'm willing to honor the negotiations of my decoy."

"Thank you," Lee replied, completely hiding his disappointment that Gamma wasn't at the compound at all, but if he played this right, perhaps he could keep Gamma on the line long enough for his transmission to be traced. He had just completed that thought when another man entered the screen and leaned over, whispering something in Gamma's ear.

Lee reached for Angie's hand, he had a good sense for danger; his ONI colleagues said he could sniff it out like a hunting dog; his fellow submariners said his sixth sense was as good as active radar, pinging out danger. Right now, everything was telling him that something was wrong. His presumption proved true when Gamma's face contorted even under the shadows, as he stood and leaned over the table before him.

"You fools!" he yelled at the decoy and Townshend. "He's wearing a tracker! Neutralize them!" he shouted as the transmission went dead.

Lee didn't wait as he grabbed Angie's hand and ran for the sliding glass door. He swung it to the side and pushed her through before he caught a bullet in his back. He grunted as the bullet entered his lower back and ripped out his side, with the momentum of the bullet pushing him to the ground. Angie fell as well as Lee tried to get up but found a harsh foot in his back pushing him back down with a painful groan.

"Lee!" Angie cried, forgetting for a moment that he was a traitor and not understanding how everything had gone so bad so quickly.

Townsend used his foot to turn Lee over as his strength waned. He was bleeding out of two bullet holes and even his duty to Angie wasn't enough to muster the strength to fight back. Lee used the last of his strength to push Angie away from him as Townsend lowered his pistol and took aim for Lee's forehead. His finger started to squeeze when a shot was heard as Townsend suddenly went white and stiffened, as a red dot of blood grew over his left breast pocket. He wobbled like a drunkard then fell backwards as the Gamma Decoy grabbed Angie's arm, dragging her while shouting towards the helicopter.

"Start up the chopper! Start up the chopper!"

But he only got three steps before receiving a well-placed bullet in his leg, dropping him as a Special Ops team member dragged Angie away to safety. The shooting went on for what Angie thought was forever, later she would realize it was only about ten minutes. During that time, she was hunkered down behind a commando who was on his knees firing his rifle while shielding her with his body. The sounds of the gunfire erupting strangely muted in her ears as she looked across the lawn at Lee, still lying on the ground. One leg was extended, the other bent in an effort to curb his pain; a hand spread over his side was glistening with crimson blood oozing between his fingers. Her peripheral vision began to fog as the gunfire suddenly ended, she started to fall backwards precariously close to passing out when her protector commando caught her.

"It's okay Miss, you're safe now," he encouraged as she blinked and fought to clear her head. "Just breathe deeply," he instructed before turning his head and shouting, "Medic!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

The chopper hovered over a small clearing and dropped a Marine detail of six men down fifty feet of rope. In less than two minutes all six men were deployed and running toward their preassigned target area with the use of night vision goggles. They barely cleared the fence into the well-lit courtyard, when they heard the first shots.

"Go, go!" the team leader urged as they rounded the corner just in time to see a man hovering over Commander Crane with his weapon drawn. A commando wasted no time finding his target and issuing a kill shot with his rifle, downing his target with one bullet to the heart. A second man grabbed a girl, an unexpected participant in the raid, and pulled her toward the helicopter. She was obviously a hostage as another commando issued a shot to his leg, then followed him down, keeping his deadly sights on the hostile if he made a move for his gun. A third commando grabbed the woman and sheltered her while the final rounds of the firefight played out.

All the while the command helicopter circled at a safe distance, watching the raid from above while utilizing its spotlight on the activity below. Harry raised his binoculars and spotted Lee on the lawn, making very little movement throughout the firefight.

"What in blazes?" he growled out as he spotted his secretary being dragged toward the helicopter by one of Gamma's men. "They've got Angie Fields," he said letting Harley in on who the woman was down below.

"The Admiral's secretary," Chip clarified as they watched the situation come under the control of the special ops team.

Harley listened in on his headset as he got the green light to land, and motioned to the pilot to put the chopper down on the lawn. As soon as they touched down, both Harry and Chip jumped out and ran, hunched over, until they cleared the chopper blades. Chip was the first to arrive and headed toward Angie, as a medic was working on Lee. She looked scared and he was sure she needed to see someone familiar.

"Angie," he called gently, seeing the glossy eyes of someone precariously close to going into shock as she focused on him and leaned forward into his arms.

"Oh Chip," she cried letting her tears flow and sobbing in his arms, while he held her close and rocked her gently.

Harry headed toward Lee, knowing that Chip was taking care of Angie. He took a knee beside Lee's shoulder as the Marine medic tended his gunshot wound. Behind him, the bald headed man in the Armani business suit was being field treated for his wound and readied for transport to a secure site.

Harry placed a hand on his shoulder, as Lee found the Admiral's eyes.

"It's okay, Lee. We've got him... we've got Gamma," Harry said trying to encourage Lee with a successful mission.

"No..." Lee got out between pained breaths, "Not Gamma... a Decoy."

Harry registered his regret and started to encourage him, but paused as Lee was desperate to talk.

"Wasn't supposed to be this way," he said with a gasp. "They grabbed Angie... thought she was my girlfriend..." he faded off as Harry realized that Lee didn't realize Angie was unharmed.

"Lee, listen to me," he said, drawing the injured man's last moments of consciousness. "Angie is safe. Do you hear me? Chip is with her right now... she's safe lad," he said as Lee grabbed onto Harry's words with the tenaciousness of a bulldog, just before his eyes closed to the darkness of unconsciousness.

"How is he?" Harry questioned the medic.

"Barely stable, Sir. We need to get him to a doctor ASAP, Sir."

Harley made his way over, having secured the compound and dropped to his knee beside Lee.

"What's the story?" he asked, wasting no time.

"He needs immediate attention," Harry answered as the medic nodded in agreement.

"Okay, we'll put the wounded and your secretary on our chopper, I'll call in a second chopper for the rest of our prisoners. You and Morton can go out with them, we'll clean-up here, Sir."

Harry and Harley stood, as Lee was loaded onto a backboard and readied for transport.

"I'm afraid we didn't get Gamma," Harry informed Harley.

"That's not Gamma?" he asked pointing toward their prisoner.

"Lee said he's a decoy, apparently Gamma was never here."

Harley swore under his breath, despite the three star admiral standing by his side. "All this and for what?" he groaned out.

"No," Harry admonished. "It was still a good operation. We uncovered the traitor at NIMR; we still have that one to reel in."

"I'll make the call, we'll move in on her right away," Harley replied, stepping back into his Operation Leader role but not before he reached over and placed a hand on Lee's shoulder.

"You did good, Lee. You just take it easy, we'll take care of the rest," with that he stepped away from the unconscious man, putting the portable radio to his ear and issuing more orders as he walked away.

"Admiral?" Angie called, walking toward Harry with Chip on her elbow, as she was obviously shaken by the events.

"Is Lee...?"

"He's stable for the time being," Harry said with a reassuring smile, not knowing how she fit into the whole deal, except for Lee's admission that they thought she was his girlfriend.

"I'm so confused," she continued. "He's a traitor, Admiral, he was selling information. He was going to sell Seaview's computer codes..."

Harry's forehead furrowed in confusion until he realized that Lee hadn't had the privacy to explain his mission.

"No Angie," Harry explained gently. "Lee was working for us. It was his job to flush out the traitor at NIMR and hopefully Gamma as well."

Her eyes widened. "You mean he was acting?"

"Yes, and I'm afraid he's damn good at it," Chip chimed in beside her.

"I... he told me to trust him, but it was so confusing. One minute he was negotiating to sell out his country, the next he was being so kind to me..."

"He was awake for just a moment," Harry told her. "He truly regretted that you were caught up in this. We never intended for you to be involved," he finished, as Angie stepped forward and broke all her personal rules of professionalism as she reached for the Admiral's embrace and cried openly.

"I didn't believe him, Admiral. I thought he was a traitor," then she gasped and raised her head abruptly from Harry's chest, looking him in the eyes in desperation. "I need to apologize... to tell him I'm sorry..."

"They're through loading him now, we're all going with him to the hospital," Harry said trying to comfort her. "But Angie, it was his job; he just did it all too well. It's not your fault."

"We're ready for you Sir," a Marine interrupted as Harry nodded and the three moved to board the chopper.

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Aubrey Stone was enjoying her evening at home. She had already checked her bank account and was pleased to see the payment for services rendered. She had provided vital information concerning Seaview's new captain; information that Gamma could cash in on as Crane was apparently selling US secrets to the highest bidder. Then she upped the ante and provided Gamma's men with Lee's departure time from his office so that he could be detained and a new deal cut for Seaview's computer codes. Her work this week had netted her another thirty thousand dollars; ten thousand for each bit of info she sold. She calculated that her new life in the Caribbean would be attainable in perhaps two more years. Once she left there was no turning back, so she intended to go well-funded and silently pondered what she could come up with that would be big enough to net larger payouts; her plotting however, was interrupted by the phone.

"Hello?"

A deep, mysterious voice greeted her on the other side causing her heart to suddenly race. She had heard the voice once before and knew it immediately.

"Crane was a set-up you silly, foolish woman," he said in an unmistakable dangerous tone that held no respect or regard whatsoever.

"I don't know what you mean, Dr. Gamma," she managed to get out.

"Let me spell it out Miss Stone," he replied; though his voice was even, it was eerie and frightening causing Aubrey to swallow hard. "Crane was part of a sting to infiltrate and capture me... you led him straight to my doorstep. That was an unforgivable blunder," he warned.

"I had no idea, please you must believe me!" she begged.

"I lost a valuable compound as well as several trusted men; you have a lot to answer for, Miss Stone... and I always collect my debts."

"No please!" she cried out but the phone went dead as Aubrey panicked. She grabbed her purse and keys; she'd have to run now before Gamma made good on his promise, but her plans were interrupted by a window breaking as a commando came bursting through. A second window shattered as she spun in the direction of the sound to greet another commando with his weapon drawn. That moment was interrupted by her front door busting open as more men poured in followed by a man in a suit. She was surrounded by special ops training their weapons on her as she dropped her purse, its contents spilling all over the floor in the process.

"Ms. Aubrey Stone, you are hereby arrested for accessory to murder; espionage, and activities amounting to treason against the United States of America. You have the right to remain silent..."

As she was taken into custody one of the men bent down to retrieve the contents of her purse. A blue bank book with gold embossing stood out, as the ONI agent picked it up and thumbed through the damning evidence exposing NIMR's enemy from within. Aubrey Stone hung her head, never once lamenting the lives lost by her deeds, as she silently said good bye to her Caribbean island.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Angie positioned herself at Lee's shoulder in case he woke. She was desperate to talk to him; to tell him she was sorry for doubting him; to thank him. She reached over and brushed wet hair from his hot forehead, smoothing it back as she placed her other hand on his shoulder, hoping he knew she was there. She realized that Lee had kept his promise to keep her safe, to the point of pushing her out the door even as the bullets began to fly. He even pushed her away from him when it looked like he was going to be executed with a bullet to the head. Deep down she knew that he had played a well-executed part and that he hadn't expected her to know... not when they had just met and didn't know one another. Even so, her heart hurt that she hadn't seen it in his eyes... she remembered inwardly calling him a chameleon; that he could be anyone he wanted to be. If only she had recognized that those eyes that spoke to her on so many different levels were urging her to trust him.

Lee was stable so the helicopter returned to its home base in San Diego where the Navy sported one of its most advanced medical centers at its disposal. Lee never woke during that time as the medic had administered a dose of morphine for the pain. He was whisked away to surgery, where he had been for the last two hours when Harley showed up.

"Any news, Sir?"

"No, he's been in surgery since we arrived," Harry replied, motioning Harley to sit with them.

"I left an evidence team at Gamma's compound, they'll be there for a while, and we picked up Stone, she's being transported here as we speak."

Angie's face revealed some confusion. "Stone?"

"Aubrey Stone was our leak," Harry explained. "We have proof she bugged Lee's calls and knew exactly where the drop-offs were. It's safe to assume she was the traitor... the enemy within who set up the ambush."

A mixture of betrayal and pain swept over her, but she pulled back her emotions. Earlier she had broken down, her emotions were too raw she realized and so she worked hard to stay in control.

"I never would have known, she seemed so sincere," she replied sadly.

"That's why we set up this elaborate operation," Harry continued. "Whoever sold us out was well-covered; we needed someone to draw him or her out. Frankly, I thought we were looking for a 'him'," he admitted.

"Miss Fields," Harley interjected. "I know you're still in shock, but it's best to get a statement from you while everything is still fresh."

"I understand, and I'm feeling better. I'll tell you everything I can," she offered, just as Chip returned with a small tray of coffee.

Chip handed out coffee, as Angie wrapped her hands around the welcome brew.

"Thanks," Harley replied as Chip had bought an extra cup for whoever might want seconds. "I'm in dire need of this," he added. He took a sip and savored the taste, giving Angie a moment before he started the questioning by placing a small tape recorder on the table between them and depressing the "record" button.

"We were at a loss as to why Gamma thought you were Lee's girlfriend," Harley started, knowing this might get a bit intrusive. "Can you tell us how he might have drawn that conclusion?"

"I haven't the slightest," she answered thoughtfully. "Lee has been very professional and quite the gentleman." She thought for a moment, and shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose when my car wouldn't start... he made sure I had lunch, but it was in the cafeteria and in no way resembled a date. Then of course, he offered to drive me home."

"Miss Fields," Harley said as kindly as he could. "You should know that for a short time, you were actually considered a suspect."

Angie tightened up considerably, as Harry patted her hand comfortingly.

"Your Boss here went to bat for you 100%," Harley added quickly, "and Lee agreed."

"But why?"

"You showed up at the drop for the first sale."

She looked somewhat confused until it dawned on her the only other place she had seen Lee besides work.

"You mean when I went on my walk?"

Harley smiled. "You just missed the drop; it was a set-up, one of our own men made the exchange. We sacrificed a real device to make sure Gamma believed Lee was legit."

"I take that walk almost every evening," she countered, slightly shocked that she had been considered the enemy, if only for a short time.

"We know Angie," Harry said, joining in the conversation even though Harley was conducting an official interview. "You were cleared almost immediately, and it wasn't just me who went to bat for you... Lee did too."

"Thank you," she said lowering her eyes to her hands for a moment.

"Did they abduct you when Lee took you home?"

"Yes, but Lee dropped me off, they didn't take us together. A man came to my door dressed like a deliveryman. They put me in a van, later they put Lee in; he'd been drugged. We drove for about an hour before we stopped at an abandoned warehouse."

"Any markings to indicate where they'd taken you?"

"No, nothing. Lee was out for about another hour, he woke not feeling too well. He did his best to give me clues; mostly he wanted me to play along. He promised to keep me safe, but he never let on what he was doing."

"That was his job," Harry interjected once again. "He couldn't blow the mission, so he had to proceed with his cover, no doubt using your natural reactions to add credence."

They continued on with the debriefing, as Angie offered every detail she could remember of the negotiations with Townsend, the Gamma Decoy, and Gamma himself. They were especially interested in Gamma's description, though the only clues she could give was his shaven bald head and the filtered cigarette he seemed to smoke endlessly; the rest of his features were lost to the shadows.

"How did Gamma catch on to the deception?" Harley asked, as the interview wound down.

"I'm not sure… that part happened so quickly. He seemed to be buying right into it, but then someone else came into view and whispered something in his ear. Something about a transmission… from that point on it became a blur. Lee grabbed my hand and managed to push me out the sliding glass door towards the courtyard, that's when he was shot. I fell down and reached for him, Townsend was going to kill him execution style and Lee pushed me away, to keep me from what he knew was coming. I really lost it when Townsend was shot, and I was pretty much out of it when the commando pulled me away."

"Okay Miss Fields, I think we can call that 'done,' that is if you don't have anything to add, Sir?" Harley asked, deferring to the Admiral.

"No, I think that's all, at least until we interview Lee."

The interview had taken roughly an hour, and they waited a quarter hour longer before the doctor finally arrived with news on Lee.

"Admiral Nelson, Commander Harley?" the doctor greeted. "I'm Dr. Jackson. Commander Crane is out of surgery and has been in recovery for the last half-hour. He lost a lot of blood, as much through internal bleeding as the entrance and exit wounds; the bullet ripped a pretty devastating path. He's weak but out of danger. The repairs were all good ones; I don't foresee any complications, though we'll be keeping a close watch for infections, especially these first three days. I think we're looking at a full recovery, I'd give him a six to eight week recovery window," he reported with a smile. "We'll be moving him to a private room soon; you can look in on him then."

"Thank you Dr. Jackson," Harry said, shaking his hand firmly.

"I'm just glad the medic was there to stabilize him for the transport, that made all the difference in the world," he offered graciously. "I'll have the nurse let you know when he's settled in."

"Thanks Doc," Harley said with his own handshake as Chip placed an arm around Angie's shoulders.

"There now," Harry with a reassuring smile. "You see Angie? He's going to be fine."

"Yes Sir," she responded with a weary smile.

"Now, if Commander Morton wouldn't mind? Perhaps you'd like to visit the cafe downstairs while Commander Harley and I make our report."

"That sounds good," she relented, withholding the hug she wanted to give Harry since they were on a naval base, offering a smile instead. "Thank you, all of you for being there for not only me, but for Lee."

Chip escorted Angie away as Harry looked at Harley and sighed, both men passing unspoken relief at the doctor's news.

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Lee woke to the pleasant fragrance of a woman's perfume scenting the air; he opened his eyes and swallowed hard, his throat dry and thirsty. He could feel the bandage around his middle and the uncomfortable feel of the IV in his forearm, grateful that the drip was most likely staving off the pain of an invasive surgery. He breathed deeply, taking in the perfume once again and turned his head to see Angie standing over him.

"Hi," she greeted softly, not sure how Lee would feel about seeing her.

He sighed contently. "Hi."

"Here," she said, noticing the hoarseness in his throat and reaching for the pitcher of water. She poured a glass and inserted a straw, offering him a drink which he took gratefully.

"Thanks. Are you alright?" he asked, not wasting any time.

"I'm fine. I was a little shaken, but Chip was there, and the Admiral too."

Lee smiled at the thought of both men; Chip and old friend found again, and the Admiral; fast becoming a new friend despite their ranks. His smile faded into sorrow.

"I'm so sorry. You were never supposed to be caught up in this..."

Angie reached for his hand. "I know, and you did everything you could to protect me. It's me who should apologize."

"You?"

"You said to trust you, and I just couldn't. I thought you were really selling out your country, betraying NIMR and the Admiral..." she stopped when he smiled and looked back confused. "What?"

"You played your part like a seasoned agent, and as for not knowing I was on a mission, well I guess I did my job."

"A little too well," she laughed back, still holding his hand. He laughed with her as their eyes connected until she squeezed his hand tenderly then released it, retreating back to their professionalism but knowing that they had forged a deep friendship in their shared experience.

"The Admiral and Chip gave me the opportunity to see you first, but they're waiting outside to talk to you," she said, much more at ease now that they had spoken.

"That's great, show them in," he replied, resting heavily back on his pillow and starting to feel the uncomfortable signs of his medication wearing off. He grimaced slightly before pulling it back as Angie returned with the officers in tow.

"Hello Lee, how are you feeling?" Harry asked, his blue eyes pleased to see his new captain awake.

"I'm alright, Sir," he exaggerated.

Chip stepped forward offering his hand for a shake as he jokingly admonished his buddy.

"You and I have got some catching up to do," he said with a raised eyebrow, referring to the ONI gig he thought he'd talked Lee out of all those years ago.

Lee chuckled and grimaced as it pulled on his stitches. "Is that anyway to talk to your superior officer?" he joked as Harry and Angie both smiled at their banter.

"Yeah, you're the Old Man alright," Chip jabbed back, referring to his position as Captain and the fact that Lee was five months older than him.

Lee laughed then turned his attention back to the Admiral. "Is everything wrapped up Sir?"

"Your hidden camera worked; we have Miss Stone in custody. Commander Harley is waiting for a debriefing."

"I can give that now," he said reaching for his side and holding back a yawn.

"I think the nurse is your next visitor," Harry said authoritatively, "then Commander Harley and I will be back."

"Aye Sir," Lee said as Harry turned.

"Good night Lee," Angie said following Harry out.

"Good night Angie."

Chip was left as he moved closer to Lee's bed and spoke softly.

"So how are you feeling… really?" he asked, dropping all pretenses.

Lee sighed, there was no hiding it from Chip... even after all these years.

"Starting to get a little unbearable," he admitted.

"Let me call the nurse..."

"No, she'll be here soon enough."

"You're good at it, aren't you?" Chip asked, with Lee knowing exactly what he was talking about.

Lee nodded slightly. "Still alive," he replied with a shy smile.

"Relax Lee, you're off the hook. Besides, you are the Old Man; you could have me on bilge detail if I rode you too hard."

"Never," Lee shot back. "We're a team, Chip. I've read your service record; you're one of the best Execs around. I expect you to be up front and honest with me, and I'll be the same with you, as long as my orders allow for it," he qualified.

Chip offered his hand again, this time Lee took it in a clasp.

"Welcome aboard Captain." Chip let the moment hang for a moment, then added, "And next time don't sneak aboard your own boat." He released the clasp as Lee laughed, reaching for his side.

"Don't make me laugh, Chip... damn if that doesn't hurt," he said in between chuckles.

As if on cue the nurse walked in.

"I'll see you around, Lee."

"Bye Chip, and next time bring me something from the boat; Efficiency Reports, Crew List... anything."

"You've got it, Captain."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Lee spent the next week in the hospital before being released to NIMR's medical staff. He was on his second week of home recovery and was going certifiably bonkers. He was still sore and stiff, and hadn't been released to duty yet. His house had been obtained through a real estate agent while he was on the east coast, and though the place was furnished there were still boxes to stow. None of which he could tend to with a restriction on lifting weight. He wasn't going to do anything to derail his recovery though, in three weeks Seaview was setting sail and he intended to be at her helm.

The doorbell rang as Lee moved slowly, holding his side and feeling pretty sore by the end of the day.

"Hello Lee."

"Admiral, this is a surprise. Come in," he said opening the door for Harry who entered carrying a large tube.

"I thought you'd be interested to know that Aubrey Stone finally cut a deal with the prosecutors. It will get her life without parole for accessory to murder times six, but she's avoiding the death penalty. Her information is being looked at with great interest."

"And Gamma?"

"I'm afraid he's as elusive as he's ever been."

Lee nodded, offering Harry a seat as he sat down himself.

"I thought you might enjoy a little side project to keep you busy till you're cleared for duty," Harry said with a twinkle in his eyes. Lee's own eyes lit up as he leaned forward while Harry unrolled the blueprints.

Lee poured over them, quickly drinking in the prints before him.

"Fantastic Sir."

"I thought you'd think so," Harry replied, clearly pleased with Lee's reaction as the two leaned over to confer on the final details before FS1 would begin prototype development.

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Three weeks later Lee entered the secret underground sub pen. This time he wasn't dressed in a black trench coat, but was attired in his full summer service dress khakis. Nor was he sneaking around the deck watch covertly; he was riding beside Admiral Nelson in a large sedan as Seaview was preparing to push off in a couple of hours. Harry got out first as Lee followed looking up in surprise, as Seaview's deck was lined with his new crew standing at parade rest with Chip waiting at the end of the gang plank.

It was a grateful crew that honored their new captain for finding the traitor that murdered Captain Phillips, but it was more than that. Lee had earned their respect on the Arctic mission doing exactly what he did on this covert mission, putting his life on the line despite the cost.

" _What will happen if they can't find Malone and Wilson in time?" Kowalski asked from the bridge as he stood watch with Admiral Nelson and Mr. Morton. The cold Arctic wind was only partially blocked by their heavy winter hooded jackets framing their faces with fur._

" _Then we have no choice, we dive without them," Admiral Nelson replied, effectively keeping all concern tucked deeply behind his admiral's stars._

" _But they'll die!" Kowalski noted, precariously close to insubordination._

" _We have no choice," Harry shot back, remembering Lee's own words to "cut and run" if they didn't return on time._

 _There was a moment of silence as Kowalski considered the fact that the captain's window to return was so small._

" _You mean the captain went out there knowing that Sir?" he asked contritely, having not given Crane a break since he snuck aboard and decked him. He was still looking for where Crane hid the brass knuckles he used on him._

" _He did," Harry answered scanning the white horizon, desperately searching for the Snow Cat as Kowalski finally gave Captain Crane credit for his able seamanship, his battle prowess, and his self-sacrifice. He was_ _ **exactly**_ _the kind of man that should be commanding the sub, he thought quietly, realizing that Seaview wasn't Phillips' boat anymore... it was rightly Crane's, earned perhaps with his life._

Harry smiled, Lee did indeed find Wilson and Malone, bringing them back safely with the extra minutes the Admiral allowed. It was close, but Seaview had held up and it was right then and there that he knew exactly who he wanted at Seaview's helm.

Lee took a few steps forward as Chief Jones' raspy voice barked out, "Ten hut. Pre-sent arms."

The entire crew snapped to attention and saluted while the bosun's whistle piped the new captain aboard. Lee swallowed back his emotion and moved toward the gang plank.

"Welcome aboard Captain Crane," Chip rendered in crisp military fashion, as Lee and Harry returned the salute.

"Thank you Mr. Morton."

Lee took the time to look over his men and then turned as he acknowledged most of the NIMR staff lined up on the concrete dock, making eye contact and issuing a quick wink to Angie. He smiled and turned back to his men.

"At ease men and thank you," he said in a clear strong voice. "Chief, dismiss the men to duty; Mr. Morton let's ready the boat for departure."

"Aye, aye Sir," was rendered sharply as Lee turned toward Harry.

"Thank you Admiral," he said with sincerity that echoed in his expressive eyes, as Harry smiled and swept an arm toward the vertical conning tower hatch.

"She's yours to take to sea, Captain," he said with only a partially concealed grin.

"Aye Sir," Lee replied as he followed Harry through the hatch and down the ladder to Seaview's control room, ready to begin a new voyage. There was no secret military mission, Lee's story about recovering lost nukes having been a fabrication to reel in Gamma. Indeed, Seaview was engaging in her primary role of exploring the ocean, this time… investigating black chimney smokers on the ocean floor.

 **The End**

*Credits: _Eleven Days to Zero_ , written by Irwin Allen

 **A/N - Thanks to all of you for reading the story and the warm welcome I received. A special thanks to everyone who took the time to Review, Follow, or Favorite. I hope you enjoyed the ride and will come sailing with me again sometime in the future. Subjockey**


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